


The Hummingford

by TheFoxofFiction



Category: Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Complete, Curses and foul language, Deceit Sanders Has a Different Name, Deceit is a half snake, Emile is a half ferret, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Deceit, Kidnapping, Mentions of Starvation, Mentions of past body modifications, Oppressive language, PTSD, Parental Roman, Past emotional/physical abuse due to said slavery mentioned, Patton is a half dog, People that's not the characters being generally shitty, Shipians are half animal half human, Sickness, Slavery, Slavery mentioned, Sympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sympathetic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Sympathetic Logic | Logan Sanders, Sympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Sympathetic Thomas Sanders, Violence, Virgil is a half cat, description of past violence and abuse, it's Dee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:00:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23053612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFoxofFiction/pseuds/TheFoxofFiction
Summary: When Roman started his journey, he hadn't thought he would return with anyone.But fate has other plans, and Roman finds himself face to face with a sick, badly abused and half starved young shipian in a merchants shady business collection.Knowing the shipian won't get better in these conditions, he makes a deal with the merchant, to sell the shipian to him, which the merchant happily accepts.Now Roman is doing his best to keep his sudden travel companion alive until he get's back home to the Hummingford.
Relationships: Parental Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Deceit Sanders
Comments: 38
Kudos: 251





	The Hummingford

**Author's Note:**

> take care of yourself  
> this story does thread on some dark themes  
> if it ever gets to be to much  
> you can close the tab.

Roman wasn’t entirely sure how he ended up in this scenario.  
He had no idea why the shady merchant had decided that _he_ was the one to sell his black market goods too. Sure Roman was dressed in less regal clothes than normally, mainly to keep a low profile, but in Roman’s opinion he didn’t exactly look like he was the right person to approach either, yet, it seemed that was a very different opinion for the merchant.

Deciding to humour the man Roman let himself be led along the narrow alleyways and cobbled streets of the city, that slowly turned to trampled mud and dirt, before they stopped at the entrance of a big tent in the less... lawful parts of the city.

“Right this way _sire_ ~” the merchant chuckled as he pulled the canvas that hung before the entrance of the tent away, allowing Roman entry.

Roman sent the merchant a look before he entered the big awning of the tent. It was cluttered with weird knick-knacks strewn all over the shelves. Roman didn’t get time to absorb the vicinity as the merchant grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him along.

“This way, this way, my fine sir. The things I’m positive you will love are in the back~” the merchant gave away another giggle and Roman sighed inwardly and once again questioned how he ended up in this situation, as the merchant lead the way to the bigger part of the tent. He pushed the maroon coloured canvas away, compared to the awning at the entrance, which had been lit up by magical torches and lanterns, was the only existing light source in the big tent one lantern, hanging from one of the many wooden beams that made up the tent’s structure. Cages took up the inside of the tent, most of them covered by dirty and dusty sheets. Roman frowned, but as the merchant started to show him around, it was clear the cages held several different sorts of animals and other creatures, most of them in a cage of their own or several of the same kind together. All from exotic birds, dogs, cats, and even more as well as magical beasts were part of the merchants varied but big collection. The animals were fairly quiet, only piping up with noise when the merchant and Roman moved past their cage

A cough made Roman straighten up there he stood before a cage with an animal that looked like a mix of a bear and tiger.

It didn’t sound like a noise any of the animals he’d seen so far would be able to make, but he couldn’t pinpoint where the cough had come from.

The merchant quickly tried to regain his attention by speaking up.

“You, you my fine sir look like a man of great renown, I’m sure something in my collection will spike your interest!” the merchant said and grinned showing all his yellowed and dirty teeth, as he led Roman along to another cage.

Another cough reached his ears, making Roman look around again.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Nothing for you to worry about, sir, probably just one of the dogs who ate too fast.” the merchant said in a rush.

Roman glanced at him, frown growing.

Roman knew it was not one of the dogs, since there had been no food in their cage when the merchant had shown him the gnarly beasts.

“It does **not** sound like any of your dogs, _sir_.” Roman stated, voice growing hard as another series of coughs was heard again, now and again sounding stifled as if the one coughing didn’t want to bring attention to themselves.

Roman turned on his heel and walked towards the sound to the best of his ability.

The merchant scrambling after him to catch up, rambling every excuse he seemingly could think off right off the bat in order to regain Roman’s already lost attention.

Roman stopped at the end of one line of cages.

Most of them were empty and half-heartedly covered with a sheet off their own, rusted and covered in old and newer dirt.

Roman felt a flare of anger ignite in his chest when he saw _who_ it was that was the source of the coughing. Sitting, dressed in scraps, that didn’t even deserve to be called clothes, was a young _shipian_.

Yellow scales scattered along their pale skin over their thin and bruised body. From what Roman could see the scales gather closer together on the shipians left side.

The half snake was coughing and it was clear from how thin and pale they were that they were not healthy, especially with the fading bruises against the pale, almost paper thin skin that was pulled taunt against their prominent bones, and the shivers that shook their already trembling body.

Roman watched the shipian with a critical eye for visible wounds, catching sight of the old burn scars that was around the half snakes left eye, leaving the skin a pale reddish pink against the yellow scales, as well as the scar that went from the end of the mouth along their cheek bone to their ear.

“ **What is this?** ” Roman asked in a slight growl, not looking away from the half snake, not missing how the young shipian stiffened and sent a panicked look up at Roman with feverish bi coloured eyes, before looking down again, trying to become smaller and hide in the rags they wore.

“Oh this… oh this is nothing, I wouldn’t want to trouble you with this one, sir, it is damaged goods and has been returned far too many times.” the merchant said grinning up at Roman “I don’t know why I still keep it around, useless creature as it is-” the merchant said and kicked at the cage, making the shipian flinch, before he continued in annoyance to complain, but Roman stopped listening to him. He had to force himself to not summon his magical sword. Causing a scene would not be of any help in this scenario.

He willed the red glow to dim out from his clenched palms, and tuned the merchant back in.

“-all this useless reptile has done is giving me troubles, what am I to do when my clients keeps returning it, killing it is too much of a pain, and releasing it? Hah! No chance.” Roman sent the merchant a dirty look, seeing how the man was red in the face from frustration.

“And _if_ I was interested, what would the cost be?” Roman asked, trying his best to not let his emotions show, glad from the lessons he had had with Logan back at the castle.

“Wha- Whu?! You actually-” the merchant spluttered before his gleaming salesman smile fell onto his lips “Well for you, my fine sir, only 1500 gold.”

 _For a, so called broken shipian, you **sure** know how to throw the price up, you piece of garbage._ Roman thought with a internal scowl, keeping his outwardly expression neutral as he hummed, giving the half snake a look over, a bit hard when they were trying to become as small as possible.

“HEY!” the merchant suddenly barked slamming his cane against the cage, making it rattle loudly, making both Roman and the half snake flinch at the loudness and the suddenness “Stand up so this fine man can see you, you useless piece of filth!” he snapped, and Roman had to take a deep breath through his nose to not summon his sword right there and then.

The half snake flinched harshly, at the loud clang of the cane hitting the bars of the cage, before they with great struggle pushed themselves to their feet, barely able to stand to their full height in the cage.

Their legs trembled from the sudden strain and another series of coughs left them at the change in position.

Roman could see that there were scars all over their legs and arms, amongst the scatter of yellow scales.

“You can sit.” Roman said and the half snake crashed to the floor of the cage clearly exhausted form just being forced to stand. “Does _it_ have a name?” Roman hated the taste that removing the shipian’s humanity left in his mouth, but it was the only way to keep the merchants attention, and make him stay oblivious to Roman’s stance on the matter.

“Name? Why would it have a _name_ , but I guess _Deceit_ is a good thing to call it, since it has caused me more trouble than it is worth.” the merchant grunted.

“How about this, _sir_?” Roman said “How about a compromise?” the merchant was silent for a moment.

“I’m listening.”

“It is clear you rather not see this creature again, am I right?”

“Very much so, my fine sire.”

“Then how about this, how about, I take this creature off your very capable hands and make sure you no longer have to worry about any returns. You get a small sum of gold, about 500, and then you won’t have to see me, or this creature, ever again. How does that sound to you, sir?” Roman folded his hands behind his back and put on his most charming smile, hoping the merchant would take the offer, because if he did, then Roman would have approximately 10 gold and 8 silver and 4 coppers left in his disposal for his return back home.

“You are making some very good arguments, my fine sir. Hmm, I find this very much agreeable.” the merchant held out his dirty hand and grinned. Roman took it and shook it, ignoring how disgusting this whole affair made him feel on the inside.

Not noticing the terrified look that had taken over the shipians face.

\- o -

The forest spread out on either side by the road that they were walking along.

It had been a few hours since Roman left the merchants tent and the city, the half snake in tow.

Roman had tried to stop the merchant from doing the ritual spell that would bind Roman and the half snake together, but he wasn’t fast enough. And now the dark tattoo like marks rested heavy around Deceit’s wrist and ankles, like a pair of invisible shackles, to state Roman’s claim.

It was when the shipian got out of the cage, that Roman manage to get a better look at them and was able to figure out that it wasn’t a female shipian, despite the long dirty hair.

He looked to be at the early teenage years if not younger, but Roman knew that shipians grew to adulthood quicker than humans, didn’t make them less of a child though. One of the many reasons they were treated so differently, along with the populations distaste for the animal characteristics. The feline and canine shipians tended to be treated better than the reptile ones. But still, in the public eye neither of them was very high in the social hierarchy.

Deceit was silent as he obediently followed after Roman, pulling unknown strength from somewhere to be able to walk and act like he was anything but sick and not voicing any concerns or questions. Roman wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, especially with how sick he knew the shipian really was, he kept a slow pace, but made it seem like his normal speed. Roman now and again sent a look over his shoulder to the shipian, to make sure he wasn’t falling too far behind. Roman frowned slightly, before he started to dig through his backpack. Bringing forth one of the loaves of bread, that had started to dry where it had been cut in half, that Patton had baked for him before Roman left for his journey.

"Here." he said as he handed the loaf of bread over, the shipian fumbled with the bread before he caught it and held it close to his chest staring at Roman with wide eyes, making him able to see better the two different colours of his eyes, one a warm brown, and the other a bright yellow and had the pupil of a snake. Deceit gave him a doubtful look as he looked from Roman to the bread and then back to Roman again.

"You need to eat something." Roman said giving a genuine smile that only grew when he saw how the half snake took a hesitant bite of the bread, chewing slowly, before clearly blinking and eating with more vigour, Roman turned back to face the road ahead, letting the half snake eat in peace.

It was close to dusk when Roman decided it was time to make camp.

They left the road and ventured into the forest and Roman found a clearing not too far from the road, but still at a safe distance away from it.

Roman dropped his backpack and bag on the forest floor next to a moss covered rock, as he started to gather the sticks and twigs that covered the greenery of the clearing and gathered them into a pile, he could feel the half snake’s eyes on him, watching. Probably wondering why Roman didn’t order him to gather the fire wood.

Roman was starting to build the small tower that the fire was gonna be in and touched the moss with his hand and frowned slightly at the dryness.

“Could you get me some stones to put around the fire? It will be easier to keep watch over.” Roman asked as he started to pull the moss away to bring forth the naked earth underneath. He didn’t get a reply from the half snake, and looked up and around to see how Deceit had hurried over to look for stones near the cluster of rocks that was covered in moss and lichen.

Roman returned his attention to building the fireplace and was not ready for Deceit to, without warning, dump a lot more stones than he had planned onto the ground before him. Roman smiled and looked up at the shipian.

“Thank you.” the half snake blinked and looked away moving away from the fire to be, so he was out of the way before seemingly waiting for the next order, even if Roman’s request hadn’t been one to begin with.

With the stones lined up around the fire wood, Roman nodded in acceptance, trusting his handy work and that it wouldn’t spread.

“That should do it.” Roman said as he clasped the dirt off his hands.

The forest grew darker around them, as the sun now was below the horizon, but the sky was still bright blue.

Roman took a deep breath and leaned forward to the tinder and wood he had whittled off a bigger stick, and exhaled, letting his magic course through him, and with his warm breath, the tinder started to glow and blacken and smoke rose from them, before it flamed up in a steadily growing pyre. Roman heard a gasp from where the shipian stood, a small smile growing on his lips as he glanced up to see the awestruck look on the others face, after all, magic was rare amongst the population.

Roman leaned back, sitting on his heels as he fed the fire some more sticks and soon the fire lit up the clearing around them, in a warm yellow light, flickering now and again in a gentle breeze.

\- o -

Roman was sitting poking at the fire with a stick. It had grown big and created a warm sphere in the clearing. He sent a glance over the fire to the half snake, which was huddled up under his many scraps of clothes, staring into the fire with a blank expression.

Roman’s dagger reflected the light of the flickering fire; there it lied next to his other belongings. Roman had brought out a old worn book and was currently writing, holding a normal twig as a pen, but the faint red glow from the top closest to the paper, where the twig moved, showed he didn’t really need ink or coal to write down what he wanted, as his magic would provide that for him.

Deceit watched him wearily, he didn’t trust this human at all, but he was exhausted from the walk, his feet hurt and his legs wouldn’t stop shaking from the strain they had been put under, and sure the bread had given him some energy, but Deceit was _tired_ , so, so tired. Trying his best to stifle the coughs that wanted to grab his chest and shake him hard.

But he had done the mistake of falling asleep near a new master once.

 **Never again**.

Roman was humming under his breath, now and again taking a bite of the stick, before realising it was a _stick_ and making a disgusted noise, spitting and cursing, before he continued to write. The mistake was made four more times, before he nodded and closed the book. Putting it back in his bag and looking at the fire before he rose up to his feet, brushing dirt away from his pants.

“I’ll go and get some more firewood.”

Deceit watched him silently as he left into the darkness amongst the trees.

The fire flicked again and Deceit first now noticed the dagger, when the reflection of the fire shone in the corner of his eye. He stared at it, before he looked out into the darkness where Roman had left, and as quick as possible he moved over and reached out and snatched it.

Even if this human had been kinder than the others so far, Deceit knew from experience that it could very much be a front, to give him a false sense of security before the cruelties were shown.

He grabbed the handle of the dagger harder, he knew what he had to do, he knew that the magical spell for the shackles would vanish the moment either of them died, he had seen it happen when another slave’s punishment was death and he saw the magical shackles disappear. The removal of them was a painful process, and Deceit still had scars from the burns the magic left when forcefully removed, as the ritual did when cast, several layers of scar tissue, that now and again itched.

He just hoped the removal caused by death would hurt less…

The sound of a twig snapping made him flinch, and hide the dagger close to his chest, behind his clothes, as he looked up to see how Roman came walking back into the clearing, arms full of firewood of different sizes, looking into the dark with a small smile on his lips, having clearly seen an animal or something else.

A bunch of sparks rose up into the air when Roman added another log onto the fire. He gave away a yawn and rubbed at his eye with the heel of his hand, before sending a look at Deceit.

“You should sleep; we have a long way left to walk tomorrow. If we’re quick, we will reach the inn around dusk.” he spoke, around another yawn.

Deceit only lifted his gaze from the fire to look at him, giving a short nod, to show he had understood, before he looked back down to the fire.

Roman frowned slightly, the shipian hadn’t said a word to him, he still coughed that awful cough the few times it wouldn’t let itself be stifled, and Roman hoped whatever sickness he had didn’t get worse before they reached the castle. Emile could get a look at him then, the Pharmacist was good with the healing plants, and was bound to know what to give the half snake to get him healthy again.

Roman was digging through his backpack, searching for the bag with food; it held mostly dried meats, some cheese, big and smaller breads, and some nuts and dried fruit.  
He gave away a laugh of triumph when he found the bag and pulled it out from the backpack, like it was a treasure, grinning widely.

Roman turned to face the half snake.  
Opening his mouth to say something.  
Only to see the glint as the knife reflect the light from the fire, and the shipian charging him with the dagger held at the ready and giving away a hoarse cry.

Everything that happened next was a blur.

Roman grunted when the half snake’s thin body slammed into him.

The bag of food flew from Roman’s grip and landed next to the backpack.

A wheeze left him when he was slammed against the hard forest floor.

Wincing in pain when the sharp claws dug into his shoulder.

The weight of the shipian’s body on his chest was making it hard to breathe.

The wind blew at the crowns of the trees, causing them to rustle and made the fire pop and hiss.

Roman groaned as he opened his eyes, squinting up at the shipian who glared down at him.  
 _Fear.  
Panic.  
Anger._

_Murder._

Were some of the many emotions Roman could identify from the glare alone.

And by the dagger.  
Held firm against his neck by thin hands, keeping him frozen in place.

Roman flickered his gaze across the shipian’s face, trying to get a better read, but he wasn’t sure what the expression worn by the young shipian meant.

“You want to kill me?” Roman asked slowly, looking up at the half snake that had him pinned to the forest floor. Trying his best to ignore the blade, pricking the skin on the side of his neck.

The shipian gave away something akin to a growl and Roman sighed.

“Go ahead” he said, as he bared his throat, and caught a faint hesitation flicker across the half snake’s eyes. “But tell me, what will you do after that, hm? Run off on your own?” sharp teeth was bared at him and the dagger pressed harder against his neck, breaking skin, making a beads of blood appear and run down across his neck before falling into the moss. “You will only get caught again, and if not worse, they _will_ kill you this time.”

“Death would be a blessing.” was the only thing half snake croaked out in a hoarse voice, cracking from lack of use and the sickness.

The yellow and brown eye of the shipian pierced into Roman’s rusty brown ones.

The intensity reflected by the firelight as the fire popped and swirled amongst the firewood in another gust of wind that made Roman’s dark red hair and the long dirty blond hair atop the shipians head sway and swirl in the wind.

“But would it make you happy?”

The question made Deceit halt and he stared down at the human, who was giving him a look Deceit didn’t know how to read.

The red brown eyes held something in them that Deceit had never seen directed at him before.

But just as that thought hit him he was bombarded by others.

Why wasn’t the human fighting back?!

Why wasn’t he protecting himself?!

Why was he just _lying_ there doing **_nothing_**?!

Deceit didn’t understand, he- he couldn’t understand!

**_Why wasn’t this human fighting back to make sure he learned his place?!_ **

Deceit grabbed the handle of the dagger harder, making his fist turn white, and his bones groan, as he jerked it up, intent on stabbing Roman between the eyes, and stared down at the human who just continued to watch him with that unreadable expression.

Deceit hesitated, he didn’t like that look, and he didn’t know what it meant!

Anger at not knowing, flared up in him and Deceit bared his teeth again.

A hissing like growl left between his sharp teeth. Sharper in his anger and fear, as he grabbed the dagger harder, pulling it back and up higher.

“You don’t have to do this...” Roman said not making any motions to stop him. He just watched the half snake with _that_ look on his face.

Deceit didn’t understand.

The human was supposed to fight back!

Take the dagger and make sure he knew his place!

Or beg for his life like Deceit had seen others do.

“You don’t need a death on your han-”

“ ** _SHUT UP!_** ” Deceit screamed, voice cracking and breaking as his whole body convulsed as a series of terrible sounding coughs attacked him, leaving him hacking and wheezing. “Just- Just-!” the wheezy barely there voice was all that left him, Deceit wasn’t aware when he dropped the dagger, as he instead grabbed his own head, digging his sharpened nails into his hair and scalp, grabbing fistfuls of hair to pull at, to try and get some sense of normality back. Roman watched with worry as a broken hoarse noise left the shipian as he hunched over again, clawing at his head, that started to grow dark from blood when the claws broke skin.

Deceit jolted when warm hands suddenly grabbed his scarred wrists and pulled his hands away from his now raw head, hair even more dirty now, by the blood.

“Stop that!” Roman cried in a frightened tone, sitting up.

Trying to ignore how thin the wrists were in his hold, as he stared into the shiny eyes of the half snake who stared back at him with wide eyes like a cornered, terrified animal.

The smell of blood slowly filled the air around them, and both of them ignored the dark liquid that covered Deceit’s claws and slowly started to run down the sides of his face.

Rapid choked off breaths left the half snake as he just stared at Roman. Body shaking and trembling like a leaf.

“It’s okay. You’re okay, just breathe. You’re gonna be fine, I promise.” Roman said trying to calm him down.

“I- I- why- Why won’t- Why won’t you make- sense!” Deceit wailed hoarsely, tears finally falling from his eyes, leaving clean trails in their wake. “Why won’t you fight back?!” A sob left him followed by another series of coughs.

Roman smiled gently at him, letting go of the shipians wrists, when he was sure they wouldn’t go back to his head, they dropped limply to his sides, the claws shrinking back to once again look like normal fingernails, though a bit sharper.

Roman reached out slowly towards Deceit’s face; Deceit flinched and covered away from the hand, as if he was expecting a hit.

Roman halted for a moment, before he moved his hand forward again and gently stroked the long dirty hair away from the shipians face, before he gently cupped it with his hands.

“I didn’t buy you to have you as a slave-” Roman spoke, holding Deceit’s gaze.

“Then- Then _why?_ ” the half snake cut him off before seeming to realise what he did, trying to pull back and hide again, but Roman continued before he could work himself into a panic again.

“ **Because,** I knew I couldn’t leave you there, not with the likes of _that_ merchant.” Roman let go of Deceit’s face and took one of his wrists in his hands, stroking his thumb over the scars left by magical shackles. “He used the worst way to remove these. I didn’t want him to put them on you to being with, but he was too fast for me to intervene. I’m sorry I had to put you through that stress again.” Deceit stared at him, not finding any lies in his words.

Others spoke so many lies so often Deceit found it hard to breathe, he wasn’t sure how he knew when someone lied, he was just glad none of his previous masters had found out about his “power” and used it for their own gain.

“Who- Who are you?” Deceit asked in a weak barely there voice as more tears fell from his eyes when he blinked.

“I’m Roman, Prince Roman of the Hummingford.”

“... Prince?”

“Yes, but I’m not a near relative to the crown. My older brother is skilled in magic just as well as I am, and he-” Roman stroked his thumb across the darkened markings “He knows how to remove these without pain.”

“But- why-?”

“The Hummingford is a castle with many people, kid. Human and shipian alike, and no one are in shackles.”

Deceit stilled, this was the first time a human had used the name of his species.

“I’m sure you would get along well with the other shipians at the castle.” Roman spoke, grabbing a handkerchief from his belt pouch and started to try to wipe the blood and tears away from Deceit’s face.

“What... are they..?” Deceit mumbled, squinting when the handkerchief rubbed at his eyes.

“The animal half, you mean?” Deceit nodded “Hmm… As far as I know, Virgil is a feline of sort, don’t know his exact type, Emile is a ferret and Patton is a canine.” Roman chuckled and smiled. “Then there is Remy. Thomas, my older brother and my godforsaken twin Remus.”

Deceit watched him as Roman talked about all the people at the castle, human and shipian, what they did and how they had ended up there, Deceit tried to listen but his ears were ringing and suddenly the world lurched and he slumped against Roman’s chest, too tired to move, even if he felt mortified at letting himself be this close to the human. “Whoa!” Roman yelped quickly grabbing him, to keeping him from falling to the side. “Hey?”

“...Why are you so... nice?” Deceit mumbled, eyes closing.

He was **exhausted**.

A hand was in his hair and something cool was placed against his burning forehead and Deceit hummed faintly at how nice that sensation felt.

“ _Shit- You’re burning up! He-Hey can you hear me?!_ ” The voice drowned out into nothing as Deceit fell asleep, letting unconsciousness take him into her gentle embrace.

Roman cursed when the shipian grew limp in his arms.

Holding the unconscious half snake close to his chest Roman managed to dig out the bedroll from his bag and with his magic he managed to get the half snake into it. Taking his already dirtied handkerchief and soaking it with water, from the water skin, Roman placed it over the shipians forehead, to cool the fever down.

Roman sighed, and sent a glance to the fire that was slowly dying, as no new firewood had been added, Roman threw on some bigger logs and watched as the fire rose again, before he shuffled away so the half snake could get the warmth it so dearly needed.

He stood back up and picked the dagger up along the way, moving a hand to his throat, and huffed at the sticky feeling from the blood the cut had let loose. He scrubbed it away with his thumb and saliva, before he cleaned the dagger and put it back in its sheath, placing it next to the backpack once more.

Roman gnawed on his lip as he sat down near the sick shipian’s head again, watching him breathe deeply in sleep, now and again giving away a weak cough only to move slightly before his wheezing breathing calmed.

“Things just got complicated...” Roman said to himself before he looked around and wondered if any of the plants in this forest could be used to help ease the sickness. He wasn’t as skilled as Emile in herbs and their medical abilities, but he knew enough to help himself if he got hurt or sick on his journeys, he just hoped the shipian wouldn’t get an allergic reaction to the medicine on top of already being sick.

Roman stared into the fire, putting on the hood and pulling his mantle tighter around himself to keep warm, slowly the lull of the forest slid up to him, gently causing his eyelids grow heavier, and in the light of the flickering fire he fell asleep.

Hoping to the moons and back that the shipian would survive the night.

\- o -

The sky grew brighter as the day started.

Roman was awoken by the sounds of the first morning birds singing and chirping in the trees. He groaned and moved his stiff body from the sitting position he had held the whole night, several limbs asleep. But as he stretched and made his joints pop he got back his feeling in the now awakened limbs.

He shuddered in the chilly morning air, before he crouched down and poked life into the coals of the fire and put on some new firewood, slightly damp from the morning dew, to get the fire going again. It took a bit of time, but soon the yellow flames rose from the woods, once again spreading warmth around it.

With that out of the way, Roman sent a look towards his companion.

The shipian had sometime during the night rolled to his side to face the fire, making the handkerchief lay half on the ground and half over his eyes. Roman chuckled slightly at the sight, smile falling away at just how young the shipian looked in sleep, he reached over to feel the half snake’s forehead, and a sigh of relief left him when he felt how the fever was almost gone. Having either having broken during the night, or just eased up again.

Roman started to look for herbs to use to make the medicine he had to give the half snake. It took a while but soon he found what he needed and moved back to the fire.

Starting to cut and squish some of the herbs, others were dried with magic before being pulverised. Roman filled a bowl with water and put it in the embers of the fire to make it start to boil, before he added the herbs and started to stir the water, watching the clear liquid become murky brown and green. After it had boiled did he move it out of the embers and poured the content into a wooden cup, that he placed near the fire to keep warm, bit not close enough to catch fire.

Deceit slowly woke up to the smell of grilled meat and the sound of someone singing.

He slowly blinked his eyes open to see how Roman was sitting near the fire singing as he grilled meat for breakfast. Deceit wasn’t sure what animal it was, but the smell made him realise how hungry he was.

The sun had just peeked over the horizon making the top of the trees drenched in gold, as the birds sang and tweeted amongst the branches.

Deceit blinked and started to move, only to start coughing hard and loud when he moved position and he rolled to his side curling up as the coughs wracked his body, making his face turn almost blue, since the coughs wouldn't let him breathe between them.

When they subsided he was left wheezing and panting for air, his chest hurt. He flinched when something was suddenly rubbing his back and he snapped his head up to find how Roman had moved over, giving him a worried look before he offered him the water skin.

“Here.” Roman said. Despite Deceit trying to shrug him off, Roman helped him sit up. Deceit drank from the water skin with hesitant greed, he wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to drink, his mind hissed at him that it was a test, and that if he failed pain would follow. But the water tasted good, a bit stale, but it was the best he had drunk in a while.

He let go of the water skin with a gasp for air and slowly handed it back to Roman who smiled and moved to put it away.

So far it seemed the test had been approved.

Deceit wasn’t sure what to think.

“I may not be as good with medicine and herbs as Emile, but, I know enough to get by.” Roman spoke as he took the cup and held it out “Here, it will help against your coughs. It doesn’t taste all that great, by try to drink all of it, okay?”

Deceit took the cup and looked down at its content, the murky waters swirled and now and again he saw some big leaves spin around in it. Roman had to keep from making a noise when he saw how the shipian stuck out his tongue to taste the vapour that was leaving the cup only to grimace. Roman did say its taste was bad, but Deceit wasn’t expecting it to be THAT bad. He didn’t want to drink it, but Roman had made this medicine for him, the voice in the back of his head hissed at him again, that this was another test, and if he didn’t drink it he was ungrateful and deserved a beating in order to fix his behaviour.

Deceit sighed and took the cup and downed the content, not letting the disgust stop him. He distantly heard Roman make a startled noise.

Deceit made a disgusted noise when he was done.

“Are- are you okay?” Roman asked with a slight hesitation.

“ **Yes.** ” Deceit ground out, trying not to gag on the taste the medicine left. Roman didn’t look like he believed him, but dropped it and instead reached over to one of the stick with meat and handed it over to Deceit.

“Here. If Patton new I kept you half starved he would chew my ears off.” Roman said with a chuckle. Deceit took the stick and sniffed at the meat, it smelled delicious. He sent a look to Roman to see how he was halfway done with his own stick he had taken earlier.

Deceit ate slowly; he could feel the heat from the grilled meat and didn’t want to burn himself by eating it too fast.

A somewhat comfortable silence fell over them, as the sun now shone down on more of the tree’s crowns.

“Do you have a name? I know the merchant called you ‘Deceit’… but-” Roman sighed “Do you have a ‘real’ name? One your parents gave you?” Deceit halted his eating; chewing the piece of meat he already had in his mouth slowly as he thought about it before he shook his head.

“I… I lost the right to my name the moment I was put in shackles...” Deceit rasped out, his voice a bit stronger and less raspy than it had been yesterday.

“How do you mean?” Deceit gave him a look before turning his eyes to the stick with meat, fiddling with the top.

“When- When they captured me, all I was before then, was irrelevant. My name being one of those things, along with my will.” Deceit gave away a half stifled cough before he continues “Even if I have a name… it’s been left unused for so long that I don’t remember it...”

“Then!” Roman said suddenly making Deceit jolt and stare up at him. Roman was looking at him with determined eyes “Then I will give you a name! But a name is not an easy decision to make; I will have to think about this.” Roman wolfed down the rest of the meat on his stick before he brought forth his book again and started to write in it, “You can have the rest of the food.” Roman added. Making Deceit stiffen, he watched him for a while longer, before his stiff posture loosened and he continued to eat in silence, hesitating a bit before taking the next stick with meat.

\- o -

Morning mist swirled around out on the fields around the forest.

Roman had gathered his things and put out the fire with both his magic and by brushing sand and dirt over the embers, before placing the moss back and kicking the stones away.

Now they were walking along the road again. Roman kept an even pace; sending glances back to Deceit to make sure he managed to keep up. Roman had worried about his feet for a while, since Deceit didn’t have shoes, but the shipian had told him he had never worn shoes, unless he was forced too, in order to appear fine for social compilations, so he was used to the terrain.

Roman now and again wrote in his book, what he wrote, Deceit still didn’t know, and he didn’t feel like asking either, afraid it was a line he was not allowed to cross.

During midday they took a break from walking, to eat and drink and Roman whisked up another cup of medicine for Deceit, who looked like he rather eat dirt than drink it, but took the cup and downed it all at once, before making gagging noises. Roman offered him a piece of cheese to get the taste out of his mouth and they continued to walk.

Roman spoke about the castle and all the people, Deceit only really listened with half an ear, as he took in the scenery.

The sun was shining down on them, not to warm, and clouds ran along the gentle blue sky, now and again covering the sun. Deceit could see hares and bunnies jump around in the fields and a few birds of prey circling in the air.

They had gotten into a patch of forest again when the sound of hooves against the dirt road reached their ears and Roman and Deceit lifted their eyes to the road ahead of them, where a lone horse with its rider came towards them, too far away still for details, but Roman squinted at it, moving his hand to shield his eyes from the sun before he recognized the emblem on the front of the leather ornaments that the horse wore along with the saddle.

Roman beamed as he raised his arm and waved, stopping walking and grinning as the horse got closer. Not noticing how Deceit moved closer to him.

“Hey!” Roman shouted and the rider raised one hand in greeting before slowing to a stop beside them, the horse was coffee brown and did a full on body shake when it stopped, sending some of the road’s dust flying around it, only causing Deceit to sneeze.

“‘sup.” the rider said and grinned “I wasn’t expecting to run into you like this, babe.”

“Come on, Remy.” Roman said with a laugh. Deceit watched the rider- Remy, with unsure eyes, he looked human. Deceit’s defences were instantly up high.

“Fine fine~” Remy drawled before he caught sight of Deceit “Oh, you’re new.” he said with surprise, only making Deceit bristle slightly, before his eyes moved to Roman “Dude! What have you like been feeding her? She’s thin as bone!” Remy huffed.

“ _He’s_ only been with me for one day.” Roman grumbled crossing his arms.

“If you bring him to the castle looking like that, babe, you will have both Emile and Patton chewing you out.” Remy pointed out.

“I know I was planning on getting him new clothes and maybe, if he will let me, cut his hair and let him take a bath to get clean when we get to the next village.”

Deceit whipped his head to stare up at Roman with wide eyes, mouth gaping.

He missed the look Remy gave him.

“Well, what’s his name, then? If he’s like gonna live at the castle I might as well be introduced now.” Remy hummed, snapping Deceit out of his stupor.

“Oh, right. This is Remy, he’s our royal messenger. Remy, this is _Dee_.” Roman said as he introduced them. Remy nodded.

“Pleasure to meet you, Dee.” he said holding out his hand in greeting, Deceit hesitantly took it and Remy shook it a few times before letting go. “Well I better keep going, bebs. Got some letters from Logan, that he like, wants delivered as quickly as possible. See ya’!” and with that Remy clicked his tongue and pushed his heels to the horses sides, making it neigh in delight at finally be moving again and started to trot and soon galloped away, out of sight.

“Dee..?” Deceit asked slowly turning to face Roman again.

“It’s not the best names I wrote down, but it was the one that fit you the best at the moment, I can keep writing down new ones and then you can have a look at the names when we reach the inn and see if you find one you like better.”

Silence fell over them before Deceit spoke again.

“I- I can’t read…” he said in a small voice. Roman blinked at him.

“Oh… Well, then I can start to teach you and then I can ask Logan to give you lessons if you want.” Deceit just stared as Roman grinned at him.

He still didn’t understand why Roman was so kind to him.

\- o -

It was late in the evening when Roman noticed how Dee was lagging behind.

Trying to stifle his coughs, but to no avail. The coughs always won and left him wheezing and panting for breath, which made him slow to a pace that was more falling forward than walking.

Roman stopped, he could see the small town with the inn in the distance and moved his backpack so it was over his chest instead and hunched forward opening his arms.

“Get on.” he said looking back over his shoulder to Dee who stopped and blinked sluggishly at him, and now that Roman looked at him, he could see the fever was acting up again.

“What-?” Dee croaked out, giving him an unsure and guarded look as he hugged around himself to try and keep the chill that didn’t exist away.

“Get on my back so I can carry you the rest of the way to the inn. Please.”

Dee slowly and hesitantly placed his hands on Roman’s broad shoulders and with a slight stumble jumped onto his back.

Roman lifted him with ease and made him bounce a bit to get a better grip on his legs before he started to walk. Dee slowly leaned against Roman’s back. The exhaustion washing over him again and he turned his head to the side to cough, holding onto Roman to the best of his ability.

Dee looked around them; the world was slightly blurry and swimming before his burning eyes.

“You can rest.” Roman spoke gently; Dee only gave a tired hum in return as he let his head rest against the humans shoulder.

He didn’t even realise he fell asleep.

Roman sent a look back towards Dee when he felt him grow heavier, not that it made much of a difference, Dee was far too light for his liking. He exhaled with a smile when he saw that Dee was asleep. The scaled side of his face resting against the hood of Roman’s mantle.

The sun was hanging over the horizon when Roman reached the inn.

He mumbled an incantation to get the door to open, since his hands were occupied in keeping Dee up, and walked in when the door pushed open by a faint red glow.

The inn was not the biggest, but it was a good place. The townspeople were open-minded and didn’t have any qualms against shipians. The bullpen was halfway full of people; some were already more or less drunk while others ate a late dinner. One of the two barkeepers looked up at them and grinned when they caught sight of Roman.

“My lord, you have returned!” he called with a grin, golden locks on top of his head, tanned skin covered in freckles and gentle light yellow-brown eyes.

“Hello, Apollo.” Roman said with a grin as he moved over to the bar.

“Oh? Are they not feeling well?” the other barkeeper asked, gesturing to Dee.

The two barkeeper’s faces were identical, showing they were twins, but they had such difference in skin tone and hair colour that no one really knew how to explain it. Jericho had paler locks that was less curly and had pale skin with few freckles and pale blue-grey eyes in comparison to his brother.

“Yeah… I saved him from a merchant the next city over. He was already sick when I found him, coughing and with a fever… I just hope he doesn’t get worse.” Roman said sending a look back to Dee’s sleeping face.

“Awww, poor guy.” Jericho cooed with a sad pout.

“I’m guessing you want the usual?” Apollo said turning to face the wall with keys, and taking one, the two of them always kept that key free to the best of their ability, for whenever Roman passed by.

“Yes and some food would be nice.” Roman sent a glance around the tavern “I’ll take two plates of what that guy’s eating.” he said and nodded in the direction of one of the patrons that ate a place with smashed potatoes and meat and boiled vegetables.

“You got it, my prince.” Jericho said and left to go to the kitchen to tell Steve to get the food ready.

Apollo gave Roman the key and Roman thanked him and walked over to the wooden stairs, which lead to the second floor, and walked the familiar route, to the room he tended to stay in.

He unlocked the door with the key, held by his magic and walked inside.

The room was not the biggest, but enough for him, it had a bed and a table and a window and in the corner a folded wooden screen stood leaning against the wall.

Gently Roman moved over to the bed and gingerly put Dee down on it.

The half snake stirred and gave away a small disorientated noise, which Roman gently hushed, as he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over Dee’s body, to help him keep warm and get comfortable again. Dee mumbled something and curled up under the blanket, pulling it close, seemingly to try and take as little space as possible as he fell back asleep.

Roman couldn't help the sad frown that spread across his face when he saw it.

He hesitated a bit before he reached out and stroked the dirty blond hair out of Dee’s face. The half snake gave away a small noise, a faint smile on his lips as he sleepily nuzzles into the touch. Roman chuckled silently as he pulled his hand back and took off his backpack and placed it on the floor next to the table, before opening the window and the shutters to let in the evening air and took a deep breath and exhaled.

He was halfway to the castle, and if he looked hard enough to the northwest he could see the silhouette of the Hummingford Castle.

Roman was writing in his book when there was a series of knocks on the door.

“Enter.” Roman spoke as he turned to face the doorway; Steve managed to open the door and stood there with the two plates of food, a smile on his lips.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“It’s okay.” Roman said as he walked over to take the plates. “These smells wonderful, thank you Steve.” the chef blushed and scratched behind one of his ears, looking away from Roman.

“Ah… uh... thanks.” he mumbled, before he nodded and wished them good night before he left to return to the kitchen.

Dee slowly woke up to the sound of muffled singing and shouting, and the closer sound of scribing.

New smells reached his nose, one who smelled mostly of old dust and moist earth, and wood, and the smell of food and the somewhat chilly evening air.

Dee blinked his eyes open to an unfamiliar room, and at first panic flared up in him.

Had Roman sold him, was he trapped in a room only to wait for a new buyer or was there something more sinister going on. His panic halted when a grunt from Roman followed by the creaking of a chair and some popping joints made him look up to see how Roman was sitting at a table, his book before him, stretching his back.

He must have noticed Dee watching him because he turned his head and smiled when he saw the bi coloured eyes stare back from the bed.

“Hey, you feeling any better?” Roman asked.

“Where… are we?” Dee rasped out slowly pushing himself into a sitting position on the bed.

“We’re at the inn.” Roman said before he shut the book and put it back in the backpack and then reached for the plates. “I got us some food, eat up.” Roman said as he placed the plate before the other chair.

Dee slowly moved from the bed and padded over to the free chair and sat down, while Roman mumbled another magic spell that made the less than lukewarm food get warm again.

They ate in silence, as the sounds from the tavern below them and the noise from the street outside the window filled the silence for them.

Dee took a hesitant bit of food, and ate slowly and very little each time.

“I’m not going to take it away from you; I got that plate for you specifically.” Roman said stopping mid motion with his fork with food on it, giving Dee a look. “It’s yours.” The shipian blinked back at him and Roman couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips when he saw how Dee ate with more vigour after that.

Roman gathered the two empty plates and stood from the table, Dee watched him with weary eyes. Roman didn’t let it bother him too much; Dee had all right to be distrusting of him.

“I’m going to go and return these, do you want anything?” Roman asked. Dee shook his head only to stifle another cough, only making Roman frown. He would have to ask if the twins had any medicine. “I’ll be back in a moment, don’t worry, no one will come in, and if anyone knocks on the door you can ignore them.” Dee nodded again, and Roman took the empty plates and left the room.

Dee sat on the chair a bit longer as he looked around the room, but the moment he knew Roman was out of ear shot he let the loud chest wracking coughs but the attack was hard enough that he hunched over and moved a hand to his mouth when he felt something thick hit the back of his mouth.

He thought it only lasted for a short moment, but when the dizzy sensation from the lack of air the coughing left him in and blinked back into clarity, he found Roman crouching on the floor next to the chair holding out the wooden cup for him.

“Here it’s-” Dee grabbed it with shaky hands and started to drink greedily, only to realise it wasn’t water, but more of that disgusting medicine.

He made a choking noise dropping the wooden cup that clattered to the floor as he hacked and coughing at the same time making disgusted noises and clawing at his tongue.

“Hey, hey, easy, easy, breathe for me.” Roman spoke as he rubbed Dee on the back; the warmth of his hand seeped through the thin and dirty rags and caused Dee to freeze up at the sudden touch. Roman noticed and quickly removed his hand as he apologized.

Dee slowly relaxed and took the water skin Roman handed over to him in peace offering, drinking from it while sending the human a teary glare.

“Sorry, you took it before I could tell you it was medicine...” Roman sighed with a chuckle as he picked up the cup from the floor, not much of the content had been spilled thankfully. Roman placed the cup on the table and straightened up and looked to the window to see how it now was fully dark outside. “We should rest.” he said as he walked over to the backpack to take out the bedroll.

“Whe- when are we leaving tomorrow?” Dee croaked out.

“Oh, We’re staying here for a few days, I need to stock up on some more food” Roman said as he shook out the bedroll and placed it on the floor “Oh, and get you some clothes.”

“Wai- why?” Dee asked confusion thick in his tone.

“You think I’m gonna have you walk around in those rags the rest of the way? I wouldn’t even describe _that_ as clothes.” Roman explained. “Oh! And bath, to get clean. I need one too. And if you will let me, I can cut your hair.” Dee reached up to his dirty blond hair that hung like wet yarn from his head, and he twisted one of the dirty locks, that hung before his eyes between his fingers as Roman talked, he didn’t think much about his hair if he was honest, he hadn’t had the luxury to do so, mostly his master just sent one of the maids or even the chef to do it, and they were never kind about it, uncaring about the knots in his hair as they brushed it, if even that, mostly they just grabbed a pair of scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald if he got lice, which made his scales stand out more, he never liked his hair that short, but he never had the daring to speak up about it.

Dee snapped out of his thought process to see how Roman had removing most of his clothes, standing in nothing than his underclothes, a white wool shirt and breeches, doing some stretches to make some of his joints pop, before he crawled down into the bedroll.

“W-What are you doing?!” Dee asked in a startled voice staring at Roman as if he’d grown a second head.

“Clearly… I’m going to sleep.” Roman stated, not seeing why Dee was making a big ruckus about it.

“B-But- But- bed!?” Dee stuttered, gesturing to the empty bed.

“There’s only one bed, and you are sick. I will not have you sleeping on the floor, when there’s a functional bed right there!” Roman argued. Dee watched him for a long time before he got up from the chair and moved over to the bed. Roman snuggled deeper into the bedroll and made himself comfortable and sighed, letting his eyes close.

Silence fell over the room, the noise from the tavern below them now and again managed to push up between the wooden planks that made up the floor.

Somewhere outside an owl hooted.

Roman had closed the window and the shutters before he lied down shutting out the chilly night air and the noise from the street, while also keeping the light of the moons out from the room.

Dee stared up at the roof in the dark, the sounds from the tavern below, loud enough to be heard but not clear enough to be understood, Dee rolled to the side to look at the human.

Roman was lying on his back soft snores leaving his half open mouth as he was more sprawled on the floor than he had been before, one arm above his head while the other rested on his stomach.

Dee still wasn’t sure what to make of him, he was weird and confusing.

Dee did not like not understanding things, it made him unsure how to act, how he was expected to react to things. He had been too long in shackles to just forget years of abuse, because of _one_ kind human.

Dee watched him slowly, his fingers twitched, it would be so easy to kill him and run.

But what good would that do? he was still sick and hungry, and his body were tired and exhaustion held him down like heavy rocks.

Dee didn’t understand, but the questions in his mind only grew and no answer was brought forward.

He didn’t even realise when he fell asleep.

Eyes falling shut as he exhaled slowly.

Darkness welcomed him with open arms.

\- o -

_Lights flickered before his eyes.  
Blurry images appeared and disappeared, too fast for him to focus them into clarity.  
Voices speaking words he didn’t understand, they echoed with distortion._

_“How dare you bring **That Thing** in here?!” a voice suddenly shouted from the darkness, a voice that filled him with ice cold dread.  
Because he knew that voice._

_Pain exploded across his face and a pained noise left him as he tried to scramble away, but his body wouldn’t move, it was held locked in place by invisible hands._

_“No- no, no, no, **nonono-** ” he pleaded struggling growing more desperate as a shadow appeared before him in the darkness, no distinct features, but a sickly mixture of every master he had ever ended up with._

_**Dee-**_

_He saw the glowing fire poker in his master's hand.  
He was crying, pleading words of forgiveness, so fast he wasn’t even sure what he was saying anymore._

_**Dee!**_

_Dee gave away a scream as the burning hot metal was pushed against his cheek._

“ **DEE! WAKE UP!** ”

Dee gave away a choked scream as his eyes flew open.

He lashed out at whoever was holding him, barely registrating that his fist made contact, or the pained noise that followed.

He scrambled to get away, only to fall and crash to the floor with a startled yelp.

But that didn’t stop him from moving away further, until he found the corner shielded by the folded up screen and curled up turning as small as he could.  
Breaths coming in short panicked gasps.

Roman slowly moved back to sitting on the bed, ignoring the ache in his jaw as he slowly moved closer to where Dee had hid, slowly crouching down on his hands and knees on the floor.

“...Dee?” he asked slowly. A choked noise was all he got and the sight of Dee trying to become smaller, now and again coughing due to his laboured breathing. “Shh, its okay, you’re safe, you're safe, breathe for me okay, can you do that, deep breaths.” Roman urged, remembering whatever he could for the times he had helped Virgil during a anxiety attack, but he knew that _this_ , this was no anxiety attack.

It took a while before Dee’s breathing evened out from a less hyperventilating to a more evened out panting, body shaking like a leaf and choked sniffles and sobs as well as wracking coughs left him in an uneven patterns.

“Dee?” Roman asked, shuffling closer but still keeping his distance.

Slowly the bi coloured eyes glanced up at him from the tense curled up form of the half snake, eyes glassy from unshed tears and fever. Filled with so much fear and pain Roman wanted nothing more than to pull him close and protect him from the world, but he knew Dee would panic all over again if he did.

“You with me?” Dee blinked back at him and gave a stiff short nod. “Okay.” Roman sighed in relief “Do you want to come out from there?” a frantic shake of the head was his only response. “Okay, that’s okay.” Roman said relaxing his posture. “Take the time you need, I’m right here if you need me, okay.”

Dee just stared at him, before he lowered his head to hide his face again.

Roman felt a pang in his chest but he had told Dee to take the time he needed.  
Roman shuffled closer to the wall and leaned against it as he started to sing under his breath, mainly to give Dee something to ground himself with, but also to give himself something to do as he sat on the floor.

He had his eyes closed and gently drummed his fingers against his knee in a steady rhythm along to the tune he was singing. He heard some shuffling and slowly oh so slowly he could feel Dee move closer. Roman opened one eye and looked at him, only making Dee flinch and try to get back to the corner.

“Hey- hey, you’re okay, you’re safe here. I’m not going to hurt you.” Roman spoke gently reaching out one hand palm up before resting it against the floor, causing Dee to halt and slowly turn to face him again, the uncertain, untrusting, guarded look was back in his eyes as he looked between Roman and the hand and then back to Roman again.

Roman closed his eye and went back to singing, now humming the tune, doing his best to appear as nonthreatening as possible.

A slight shiver shook through him at the chill from the wood, passed through his underclothes. He partially opened them when he felt Dee take his hand and he gently stopped humming, surrounding them with a comfortable silence. The tavern being silent at the late hour.

Roman was starting to lose feeling in his legs and butt from his sitting position and sleep was tugging at him, making him yawn more often than he would have liked.

“Do you want to stay like this, or move back to the bed and try to sleep again?” Roman asked after a rather big yawn, that made his jaw pop, but he didn’t get a reply “Dee?” Roman turned to face him to find how the half snake was working how jaw and opening and closing his mouth but no sounds left his expect a few coughs. “Can’t speak?” Roman got a hesitant nod in reply “That’s okay.” Dee sent him a sceptical look as if he didn’t fully believe him.

A cough attack decided to break the comfortable moment between them; Roman hesitated before he placed his hand on Dee’s back, only feeling the half snake stiffen under his touch for a moment before relaxing and to Roman’s surprise leaning into the touch.

When the attack subsided Dee collapsed against Roman’s side panting for air and Roman could feel that the fever had returned with a demanding vigour. A chill shook Dee’s body and he made a weak croaked wheeze as he shivered.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Roman spoke, gently helping Dee to his feet.

The shipians legs and knees shook and wobbled, not wanting to bear his weight as he stumbled forward, but Roman kept him standing, as they moved across the room back to the bed. Pulling the tangled blanket away from the mattress Roman helped Dee lie back down, Dee made a small noise and slumped against the mattress eyes closing, curling up as another chill shook his body and he gave away a weak cough, only to open his eyes again when Roman pulled the blanket around him, tucking him in with a gentle smile on his lips.

Dee stared up at him with feverish eyes and Roman realised once again just how young he was.

Roman stroked the sweaty dirty hair away from Dee’s face, caressing the scales on his cheek, making Dee close his eye and lean into the touch, making a small noise in the back of his throat, before opening them again when Roman pulled his hand away.

“Get some sleep okay.” Roman said in a caring tone, and turned to return to the bedroll. Only to stop moving when a thin bony trembling hand grabbed around his wrist and he turned his head to look back to Dee who blinked up at him with feverish eyes, making a keening noise and giving his arm a weak tug. “You want me to join you?” Roman asked, surprise coating his words. Dee made another noise and shuffled a bit on the bed until there were enough room for Roman too.

Roman slowly lay down on the bed on top of the covers and couldn't help the small chuckle that left him when Dee snuggled closer, grabbing hold of his undershirt with one hand, like a child seeking their mother’s protection from the fears of the night. And it really wasn’t that much of a difference really. Roman gently placed his arm over Dee’s torso and turned his head to look to the bedroll and with a quick magical command made it rise up and spread out over himself like a blanket.

Dee made another small noise snuggling closer in his sleep and Roman closed his eyes and held him close, a small smile on his lips.

Wondering with slight anxiety how things would be in the morning and hoping no more nightmares would dare show their face during the night.

\- o -

Dee slowly returned to consciousness to a sense of warmth, safety and comfort, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. He slowly blinked his eyes open, only for everything to be white. He blinked again in confusion trying to clear it, but the room did not appear before him, he was about to move a hand to his face when a soft snore came from above him and he stiffened, jerking his head up.

The whiteness wasn’t his eyes not working properly, it was Roman’s undershirt. The human was sleeping next to him, curled up around him like a protective wall against the rest of the room.

Dee vaguely remember what had happened before he fell asleep, the sense of safety that Roman had been radiating, in his feverish mind, still terrified from the nightmare it had been intoxicating and he had only wanted more.

Dee felt his face heat up from embarrassment and before he had time to think about it showed Roman off the bed, making him crash to the floor with a startled yelp and groan.

It was in that moment Dee realised how terribly badly he had just screwed up and panic washed over him, as if someone had emptied a bucket of ice cold water over him.

He knew it was Roman who sat up, but in his blurry vision from panicked tears Roman’s form shifted to a dark shadow of one of his former masters.

The one who had kept him around the longest.

And been the cause of several of Dee’s scars, both the physical and mental one.

Roman groaned as he sat up rubbing at his head winching at the bump and sent a look towards Dee who was staring at nothing with glassy petrified eyes, pressed flat to the wall making panicked noises under his breath.

“Dee!” Roman called but not getting any indication the half snake had heard him.

Roman reached forward and took Dee’s hand in his, feeling it flinch under his touch. “Listen to me, what you’re seeing isn’t real, _you’re safe_.” Roman spoke giving the hand a squeeze. Dee’s eyes snapped to him as if for the first time seeing Roman again. “There you are.” he said gently blinking when Dee reached out with his other hand and hesitantly stroked against Roman’s cheek.

“Y-You- You’re- You’re hurt- I- I- I hurt-” Dee choked out with a raspy voice looking pained as if he was forcing the words out of him.

“Shh, its okay, you weren’t in control. You were still affected by the nightmare.” Dee grimaced as tears grew in his eyes and a pained wounded noise left him.

“Why are you so _kind_?!” Dee sobbed out burrowing his face into the mattress as choughs and sobs wracked his frame, Roman moved up onto the bed again and gently gathered Dee in his arms, loose enough that he could pull away at any moment, but still strong enough to give comfort.

“Because it’s what you deserve, Dee, if I could I would go back in time and save you before any of the hardships you had to live through, I would.” Roman spoke as he stroked his fingers through the dirty blond hair. Dee clung to him as he sobbed and cried the warmth that was radiating from Roman was comfortable and made him feel safe.

So different from when anyone else had grabbed or held him close, then the heat of their bodies had felt scorching and like fire against his skin, or freezing cold. “I will do my best to make sure you’re safe from here on out, and can live just freely as you deserve.” Roman spoke against his temple, giving it a light kiss to comfort.

It took a while before Dee calmed down and dared untangle himself from Roman’s hold.

Roman gave him a smile and stroked away a tear with his thumb.

“How about some breakfast? Do you want to eat down in the tavern or up here?” uncertainty fell over Dee’s face “You won’t need to worry about judgement here, Dee.” Roman said as he placed Dee back on the bed and moved over to start getting dressed.

Dee gave a small nod, before he grabbed a piece of his clothes and rubbed at his face to get the tears and snot away, only getting his face more smudged with dirt in the process. Roman huffed with laughter, before he grabbed his handkerchief and wetted it with his water skin and rubbing it over Dee’s face making the half snake hiss at him, only making Roman laugh and smile at him.

“Oh! Good morning my lord!” Apollo called; there he was walking around the patrons to serve them the food they had ordered.

Jericho stood behind the bar looking half asleep still. Steve could be heard working from the kitchen, shouting at the cat to stop stealing the fish when there was food in its bowl.

“Morning Apollo, Jericho.” Roman called as he moved down the stairs, Dee one step behind looking around with a slight stressed out look. “Don’t worry, just stick close to me.” Roman said, loud enough only for Dee to hear, getting a stiff nod in return.

They found an empty table and sat down.

Jericho walked over trying to suppress a yawn as Apollo vanished into the kitchen again to get more breakfast food.

“Morning.” Jericho said with a yawn “Sorry.” he apologized, before he looked at Roman, his eyes then fell on Dee and he beamed “Hello, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” Dee blinked.

“I- uh… Thanks...” Dee stuttered out.

“So” Jericho brought up a notepad “What would you like to eat?”

“The usual for me, Jericho, what do you want Dee?” Roman looked to the half snake who looked unsure before shrugging. “How about we get you a plate of the same food, Oh! And two glasses of milk.” Jericho smiled and nodded writing it down before he left to tell Steve.

It took a while before Steve came over with their plates of breakfast, as Apollo had his hands full, Jericho had given them their milk and was now more awake than before and helped Apollo serve and help the patrons of the tavern.

Dee couldn’t help but stare at the half mouse; Steve smiled in greeting as he put the plates down on the table, his white ears twitching slightly at all the sounds of the tavern. That was why he mostly stayed in the kitchen, the tavern got too rowdy and loud for his taste. Food, food understood him, and the kitchen was calming with all the amazing scents.

“Here you go.” Steve said with a smile and sent a look at Dee, smiling wider before he left to return to the kitchen.

Dee stared after him, eyes wide at the lack of scars and no marks of shackles on the wrist.

“That’s Steve.” Roman spoke as he took and broke a piece off the freshly baked bread they had gotten along his food in half, humming happily at the scent.

“He… had no shackles...” Dee said slowly, turning to look back to the food.

“He does not.” Roman stated “But he had, once.” Roman felt Dee’s eyes snap to him and he knew he had the half snake’s full attention. “I told you before that my older brother knows ways to remove the shackles with no pain or scarring.” Roman said as he looked at Dee. “He is also the one who will remove yours when we get to the castle.”

Dee could only stare.

There were ways to remove shackles without pain?

He was barely aware of the way his hands shook from the sense of relief that washed through him, bringing tears to his eyes as he ate.

“Hey? You okay, Dee?” Roman asked only for Dee to not answer, instead just eating with more vigour, than he had before, ignoring the tears that was rolling down his cheeks in big drops. Roman reached out and stroked some of them away, giving him a kind smile.  
And yeah, Dee found himself slowly, despite what his mind said, trusting Roman stronger and stronger.

\- o -

Once breakfast had been consumed Roman and Dee left the tavern, to find new clothes for Dee, who trailed behind or next to Roman like a lost puppy.

The owners of the shops they visited, just smiled and helped them find clothes that fit him, in the end they left the shop with a pair of dark brown trousers and a yellow shirt and a pair of white woollen underclothes. Roman paid and moved over to the shoemaker, who took a look at Dee’s feet, commenting that the calluses were already strong enough that he didn’t really need shoes, but that he could make them a pair of boots just in case and send to the castle, since it would take him a while to finish them. They keep walking, getting more things: food, a mantle for Dee amongst other things they needed.

Roman was humming as he turns to look at the clear sky.

“When we get back to the tavern, I’ll call for a bath, so you can get yourself clean, and once that is done, I can cut your hair if you want, otherwise I will just clean it for you and then braid it, or help you get a horsetail of sort.” Roman said and grinned at Dee.

“A bath?” Dee stared right back at him, eyes impossibly wide.

“Yes.” Roman said as if it was the most normal thing ever. The trust Dee had let Roman achieve was enough to make him question, something he hadn’t dared before.

“But… why?”

“What do you mean?” Roman stopped walking turning to face Dee fully. Who looked right back at him for a moment before he looked away, not brave enough to keep eye contact.

“Why… go through all that... trouble…” Dee’s voice grew smaller “No one else did… they just grabbed a bucket and threw it at me, with and without clothes on...”

“Dee...” Roman gently placed his hands on the shipians thin shoulders. “Listen to me, okay. I am not like those people. You deserve a warm bath, one that will make you clean, without you having only one bucket to take from. And if that means I’ll have to clean you myself, then so be it, but know this. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do, okay. If I do anything that makes you feel unsafe, or you don’t like, tell me and I will stop and change my actions accordingly.”

“But why-!” Dee’s voice cracked, but he managed to keep from coughing.

“You deserve _so_ much Dee, but most importantly you deserve to be treated like a _person_.” Roman said and gently pulled him into a hug, and Dee let him, as he nodded into Roman’s shoulder, making an accepting noise in the back of his throat.

\- o -

“There you go, that’s the last of them.” Steve said as he emptied the last bucket of boiled warm water into the wooden tub Apollo had helped him carry upstairs. And by mixing it with some water straight from the well, it was no longer scalding hot, and Apollo threw in one ball of powdered herbs, that gave the water a greenish tint and making the smell of lavender and lemon rise from the warm water. With that finished the two said farewell and left the two occupants alone in the room.

Roman grabbed the wooden screen and unfolded it, placing it on the floor to make a protective barrier from the door and the tub, the dark wood was carved beautifully, all from flowers, to fruits and animals and steady swirls that braided into each other.

Roman placed his hands on his hips looking at the water with a smile before he turned to Dee, who stared at the big tub with wide eyes; it was almost as big as him.

“Okay, I do believe you can handle this on your own, I’m on the other side of the screen if you need me, just call my name and I will come over and help.” Dee nodded, moving closer to the tub.

Roman disappeared behind the screen and Dee heard him pull out one of the chairs and sit down at the table and from the scribing noises he was writing in his book again.

Slowly Dee started to untangle himself from his old rags, holding them uncertainty in his hands.

“Where...” he started to ask only for Roman to speak up

“You can leave your old rags on the floor.” Roman said, as if he knew what Dee was hesitating about asking. Dee placed the dirty rags near the chair where Roman had placed some towels as well as Dee’s new clothes.

Dee shivered, no longer protected by the fabrics, and moved back over to the tub and tested the waters with his hand.

The waters were hot, almost burning to his chilled skin, but once he got used to the slight burn it was really nice.

The water in the tub gave away a splash as he got into it, and as he sat down, it reached up to his neck, a sigh left him as he sat back, leaning his back against the wooden wall of the tub.

The warmth of the water engulfing him.

_He loved it._

Roman looked up when Dee had been silent for a bit too long, Roman couldn’t hear the water moving.

“Dee… you okay?”

“Yeah...” Dee replied sounding so content and almost half asleep, Roman couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips along with the snicker.

Dee threaded his hands through the water, watching as the green spikiness of the pressed ball of grinded herbs Apollo had put in the water swirled prettily in the water. Dee had sunken down so far his nose was over the surface.

He grabbed the rag that had been hung over the edge of the tub and started to rub it along his thin arms, chest and legs, trying to ignore just how thin he was, he hesitated a moment before cleaning between his legs before going to his feet and getting between his toes, having to suppress a snicker at the ticklish feeling.

A knock on the wooden screen made him look up to find how Roman stood there, head turned to not be able to look at him unless he absolutely had too.

“How’s it going, Dee? Need any help?” Dee remembered what Roman had said earlier and thought about it before he nodded.

“I… might need your help… with my hair-” a cough surprised him making him get water in his mouth and almost choke, leaving him hacking and wheezing for breath, a hand was on his back rubbing it to try and help.

Dee couldn't remember the last time anyone had chosen to touch him when he wasn’t covered by clothes.

The coughing died down and Dee wheezed for breath giving away a croak rubbing at his throat, it had burnt.

Roman gently offered him the jug with milk; they had gotten with the dinner they had ordered at the same time as the bath.

Dee drank gingerly but sighed in relief once he was done.

“Thanks...” he squeaked out, getting a kind smile from Roman.

Dee couldn’t help the deep sigh that left him as Roman worked the water into his dirty hair, working gingerly to get the knots and tangles out with his fingers. Now and again Dee gave away a winch and Roman quickly apologized. When most of the evil tangles had been vanquished did Roman grab the oil and by gently tipping Dee’s head back, made sure he didn’t get any in his eyes as he rubbed it into the dirty blond hair, scrubbing at the scalp to get the worst grime away, to the best of his ability.

Roman worked soap onto Dee’s skin as well, taking care to be kind around the old and newer scars, Dee moved his body accordingly in the water to help Roman, and Roman always asked if he was okay, and if Dee wanted to continue the rest of his body by himself or if he wanted Roman to help some more.

“Okay I’m gonna pour the water to get the oil out of your hair, look up and keep your eyes closed, don’t want to get this in your eyes, it stings.” Roman said as he grabbed the bucket of water with his magic and made it pour a gentle stream of water onto Dee’s scalp as he worked the oil out with both hands, leaving the hair brighter blond than Roman had first thought. “There we are, all done.” Roman said with a smile as he walked over to the chair and grabbed a towel and turned to face Dee again, only to feel a small squeak leave him when he saw how the half snake stood up, the water rolling down his still too thin body, curving around the withered muscles that clearly were there along with the protruding bones, despite how thin the shipian was, but that wasn’t what Roman was zeroing in on.

No his eyes were locked on the small scaled tail, covered in yellow scales; it was as long and broad as the palm of a hand at where it connected to the body.

“Tail...” Roman stated in surprise, grimacing when he noticed how Dee flinched and his in the waters again as he turned his head to look over his shoulder at Roman.

“I… ah…” Dee started.

“It’s cute, wasn’t sure if you had one or not.” Roman said as he walked over, Dee slowly stood back up again and Roman helped him get dry with the towel “I haven’t seen many reptilian shipians, I wasn’t sure if the tails only belonged to the half lizards.”

“I- You’re the first one who has _liked_ it...” Dee mumbled, and when Roman looked closer he could see the ugly scars that covered the stump of the tail and realised that it was not supposed to be that short to begin with. He gave away a pained noise in the back of his throat as he realised someone had actively grabbed a sharp object and cut it off.

Dee wasn’t looking at him, and Roman was doing his best to keep from throwing up, as he grabbed the towel hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.

“Dee… I’m **_so_** sorry.” Roman choked out as he pulled Dee close, the shipian having been bundled up in the new dry towel. Dee nodded stiffly against Roman’s chest, and Roman knew he was struggling to keep from crying, Roman held him for as long as he needed, ignoring how his shirt grew wet from the silent tears.

\- o -

The sound of the pair of scissors cutting hair, made a small shiver run through Dee, as he sat with his eyes closed as Roman worked on taming his long hair, now and again a sniffle left him and he rubbed at his still teary eyed eyes. Roman had been cutting his hair for a while, covering the floor with the pale wheat golden locks.

“Are you sure you want your hair similar to mine?” Roman asked as he brushed his hands through the hair.

“Yes.” Dee replied as certain as he would ever be. He heard Roman hum and he opens one eye to see him nod to himself before he is back to cutting the hair with the scissors.

Dee never really trusted anyone near him with sharp objects, but for some reason he trusted Roman with this tool. It took a while before he felt Roman ruffle his hair, making loose strands that hadn't fallen away fly off and Dee sneezed when some landed on his nose.

“All done.” Roman said with a beaming smile.

Dee moved shaking hands to his head to feel the hair, his head felt lighter, but he was still worried Roman had cut it all off, like the servants at the other places tended to do, but as his fingers found the fluffy hair on top of his head a smile grew on his lips and he played happily with the short cut at the sides and back of his head, missing the warm and adoring look on Roman’s face. Dee turned to look at him beaming, the biggest smile Roman had ever seen on his lips.

“Thank you!” Dee called, Roman felt his heart do a triple take and he swore right there and there he would do anything for this kid. Roman laughed and ruffled his hair and they both grinned at each other.  
A familial bond grew between them.

And would only grow stronger.

\- o - O - o -

They packed their stuff the next morning, cleaning out the room and took their belongings downstairs. Both ready to get some breakfast.

“Oh! You cleaned up nicely!” Jericho called “Oh look at those scales they are simply magical!” Dee felt his face heat up and hid his face behind the straw hat Roman had gotten for him, only causing Jericho to laugh kindly.

“Morning Jericho, the same meal as last time if you would be so kind.” Roman said with a smile, moving the bar owner's attention from Dee to himself.

“Oh, of course, my lord.” Jericho said and smiled wide as he hurried off to tell Steve.

Breakfast was eaten with no rush. Roman smiled as Dee scarfed down the food on his plate. Despite it only having been 4 days since Roman rescued him from the merchant, Dee’s sick pallor had started to fade, and his thin body had started to gain fat and muscle from the food, making him look healthier, now when the bones weren’t protruding from under the skin, the coughs still came now and again still, but the bath seemed to have been a good thing, the warm waters opening up his airways as well as Dee getting clean and got whatever germs was clinging to him off of him.

After they finished eating moved Roman over to the counter to pay for the food and the room. Meanwhile Dee made himself ready, fixing his belt where the dagger Roman gotten for him and fixing the cape to lie over his shoulders better. Dee wasn’t sure why Roman trusted him with a _knife_ after what happened in the forest the first night, but he was not going to complain, it made him feel safer.

Roman returned after a moment and hoisted up his backpack onto his back and smiled down at Dee who gave a small smile back, and they left the tavern, waving bye to Apollo and Jericho who called after them to come back soon.

The towns people waved goodbye to Roman when they left, and the fields of soon to be harvested grain spread out around them when they left the town behind, for a while, before open grasslands took over.

Dee had more energy now than he had before they got to the town and was now walking next to Roman compared to before, and when Roman noticed this chose to start a faster phase.

“You… mentioned before that there were others at the castle… are they all human?” Dee asked after a while glancing up at Roman who gave away a laugh.

“Nope. Sure some of them are human, but there are several shipians there too, all living there by their own choice.”

“What are they like?” Roman sent a glance down at Dee, not at all against the half snakes found bravery to ask him questions without fear.

“Well as I mentioned before there is Virgil, Patton and Emile. Emile came to us first. Remy found him half drowned clinging to a tree branch in the river further north from here. He had managed to run away from the group of scoundrels that had captured his family and friends. Me and Remus went and found their hideout and saved the remaining shipians, some stayed at the castle, others returned back home, he now works as the castle’s Pharmacist.”

“And you said he was a… ferret?”

“Yes.” Roman said and smiled “Then there is Patton. He’s a canine shipian, and he stumbled into the castle as a child. Thomas found him hiding behind a barrel during a thunderstorm. He had shackles, Thomas wasn’t sure what to do at first, but the owner came to the castle and she was not a good person. Thomas sent her away saying Patton wouldn’t follow, he undid the shackles that evening, Patton has been closest to him ever since.”

“So he was like me?”

“Sort of, not fully, he hadn’t been physically abused, but his emotional state was a mess.” Roman got the mental image of Dee’s cut off tail in his head again and forced his magic to calm down, he didn’t want to scare Dee with it, not now, when he managed to win a piece of the shipians trust. “Then there is Virgil. He was not in a good condition when Remus found him, he had been left for dead most likely, but we helped him back on his feet, he didn’t trust us at all in the beginning, but Patton managed to get him to open up.”

“How old are they?” Dee asked looking down at his hands as if he was trying to figure out how old he was himself.

“They’re all older than you, Virgil is the one I think is closest to your age, but he’s still older.”

“How do you know that?”

“They’re fully grown, _you_ are still growing.” Roman said as he ruffled Dee’s hair. Making the half snake hiss at him and bat his hands away. Roman blinked at him before he cooed. “Oh my stars, that was adorable.” Dee felt his face heat up and he grabbed the straw hat of and pulled it over his face to hide, only making Roman chuckle kind-heartedly.

A river slithered along the landscape glittering in the sunlight. Dee rushed ahead to get up to the wooden bridge before Roman, and climbed on the wooden fence to look down at the crystal clear water. Fishes in all colours and sizes were swimming along the water plants and sea grass. Roman watched as Dee pointed at a fish and turned to look at Roman with ecstatic eyes, blond hair glowing in the sunlight. A warm smile fell over Roman’s lips as he walked over to see what it was Dee was pointing at. He gently placed his hand on Dee’s shoulder and felt how the half snake stiffened for a short moment before relaxing not shaking the touch off.

They stopped at a hill to rest, watching a herd of deer walk near a grove of vegetation.

A daring fox cub rushed forward and snatched Roman’s food bag, resulting in Roman chasing after it, while Dee watched and he couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle.

In the end, after Roman fell over due to hitting his foot on a rock he lifted the food bag with his magic making the fox give away a unhappy yip. Roman took a piece of dried meat out of the bag and threw to the fox that scrambled away before sneaking forward and snatching the meat and then ran off.

When the sun was getting near the horizon decided Roman that they were to make camp, they found a good place, and Roman started on making the fireplace, Dee remembered the stones Roman had wanted last time and when Roman lifted his head to ask for Dee to gather some, Dee stood there with his arms already full, grinning, only making Roman laugh and ruffle his hair and smile.

In the light of the fire, Roman showed Dee the list of names he had been working on. Showing Dee the name and what the different symbols made for vocal sound, Dee stared at the unfamiliar symbols with curious eyes and listened with rapt attention as Roman said the names aloud.

He did like Dee the best though, but told Roman he could keep working on the list, maybe he would find one that suited better in the future. Roman smiled and nodded, before he started to write with a piece of dried grass, writing long words following each others. Dee watched him work. Watching the tip of the straw that was against the paper glow as the magic swirled around along with Roman’s movements, it was almost like a dance that left the symbols etched into the paper. Dee shuffled closer and leaned against Roman’s shoulder, causing Roman to blink before he lifted his arm, allowing Dee to get closer, before he placed his arm around Dee, smiling when the half snake snuggled closer. Once Roman was done writing he put the book away, Dee had fallen asleep sometime during him working, soaking up his body heat.

Roman murmured a spell, making a faintly glowing border appear around the camp, it would alert and wake him if something or someone with ill intent crossed over it, and with that Roman gently laid Dee down on the ground, the you half snake had been snuggled up in the sleeping bag ever since the moons rose over the horizon, and nuzzled into the pillow. Roman stroked the blond locks away from his face, making Dee mumble something and snuggle deeper into the bedroll, only making Roman coo silently, before he rose to his feet and walked over to his luggage and fixed his own bedroll, laying it out next to Dee, put on some more fire wood before he got into the bedroll and once he got comfortable he let sleep take him.

The stars twinkled up ahead and the moons watched down over them, casting the world in silvers and blues. A fox called far away and an owl hooted from a grove.

Nothing came and bothered them during the night, a small weasel inspected them before it scurried off, allowing both of them to sleep soundly through the night.

\- o -

In the light of the rising sun everything glittered from the morning dew that clung to the greenery. With the warmth that grew as the sun peeked over the horizon caused a light mist to spread, over the grasslands, before it vanished.

Roman yawned and stretched there he laid on the ground, Dee still sleeping, snoring softly from the bedroll. Roman had only heard him cough a few times during the night, but it was thankfully getting better, the fever hadn’t dared to come back either, so Roman took that as a win.

He yawned as he sat up, shivering slightly in the still chilly morning before he moved over to the fireplace, poking at the ashes, making the embers appear and with a small whisper the flames woke up again and spread warmth around as he gave them some firewood to munch on.

Roman was starting on preparing breakfast, when Dee grumbled, having been awoken by the sun that shone right at his face, he blinked blearily before he looked back behind him to see Roman sitting cross legged at the fire.

“Morning.” Roman said with a smile as he stirred some eggs he had found on a pan along with some dried bacon and mixed something that smelled like porridge. Dee wormed his way out of the bedroll, before he moved over to where Roman sat.

Breakfast was eaten; Dee happily chewed on the scrambled bird eggs and bacon before stuffing his face with porridge. Causing Roman to laugh and compare him to a squirrel, which only making the young shipian blush and hiss.

Once they were finished they undid the fireplace and put back the cut up earth squares to let the grass re-grow. With that out of the way they continued to walk along the road towards the Hummingford.

\- o -

The beech forest opened up before them, an old forest. Full of old paths that had left grooves in the forest floor, making it full of hills and hidden pathways amongst the dying leaves and bushes and vegetation that managed to survive in the almost no sun environment.

Roman seemed to know where he was going though, so Dee followed, even if the big forest made him look around with big sparkly eyes, he had never seen this many trees before, and especially not beech trees, he’d only seen a few that his previous owners had on their land.

A squirrel suddenly jumped down from a tree before them, making Dee give away a startled hiss and hide behind Roman, who laughed, as the squirrel scrambled away in a squeaky panic.

One he got used to the lights in the forest Dee rushed ahead at times, but he always returned to Roman’s side, or stood and waited for the human to catch up, now and again Dee kicked up the fallen leaves that covered the forest floor, snickering to himself, as he played around with them. Roman smiled as he watched the shipian play, glad to see Dee’s defences were lowered enough that he let himself play around like the child he was. Roman looked around smile still on his lips, he always did like this forest, it gave him so many ideas for stories to write and he could feel his magic swirling happily inside, it loved the forest too.

He picked up his book and a twig from the forest floor and started to write.  
The sounds of Dee laughing and playing around, danced around him as the half snake ran around the path now and again stopping to investigate an animal or plant.

“Roman! Roman look!” Roman hummed not lifting his face from the book, it was around midday and they hadn’t stopped to ea, but Roman hand handed Dee a piece of bread and cheese along with some dried fruit while he himself ate some dried apples and cheese.

“Roooman!” Dee called again; Roman hummed again and lifted his head this time, blinking when he saw how Dee was standing high up on a big hunching boulder grinning proudly.

“Oh, I see you found Ol’ Frigg.” Roman said with a grin. Dee tilted his head in confusion, sitting down on the rock.

“Who?”

“Come here.” Roman said and gestured to his side. Dee blinked before he climbed down the rock and moved over to Roman’s side with a slight bit of hesitation, Roman saw a hint of worry and fear in Dee’s eyes, clearly worried he’d done something wrong.

“Dee, look up at the boulder and tell me what you see.”

Dee gave him a confused look, tilting his head again, but did as told and turned to face the rock and looked up at it. First now noticing how the hunching rock had something that looked faintly similar to a face.

“A... face?” Dee asked with an unsure tone, looking at Roman who smiled in return.

“Yes. There is an old tale about this forest, it is said that there was once an old beggar who sold his last chickens for ten beechnuts in payment, he planted the trees, which made this forest, but being old and having no more food or money he did not survive the winter.” Dee made a sad noise and Roman reached out to rub him between the shoulder blades. “The queen of winter took pity in the dying man, and gave him an option; either die from the cold or live forever and watch over his forest as it grows. He accepted her offer and with her magic she froze his body until it was so frozen it became solid stone, and he still guards the forest today.” Roman spoke before he looked down at Dee again.

“That’s... sad...” Dee mumbled.

“Yes, a bit bittersweet I will admit, but I doubt Ol’ Frigg regrets his decision. Look.” Roman pointed to the vague face “If you look closer, you can see that he’s smiling.” Dee blinked up at the rocky face, and now when Roman pointed it out, he could see the smile. A small smile grew on Dee’s lips in return as he turned to look up at Roman who beamed at him. They continued to move, but Roman noticed how Dee kept sending glances back at the hunched rock, until it was out of view.

\- o -

The forest was darkening around them because of the sinking sun. They had to make camp in the forest for one night before they got out of it. Dee yawned there he walked, having clearly tired himself out of all the playing and was not walking a bit ahead pushing the leaves around with a long stick he found.

Roman lifted his head higher and peered into the forest around them, he was already looking for good spots to make camp but something in the air made him feel on edge.

Roman frowned and his hand moved the hilt of his dagger, not sure if he was in need of his sword or not.

“Dee.” Roman called in a low tone, making the half snake stop and turn around “Come here, _now_.” he hissed, having stopped walking, looking into the darkening forest around them, with searching eyes. Dee moved slowly at first, sending glances to the sides of the road as well before he hurried up to Roman’s side grabbing hold of Roman’s tunic.

“What’s wrong?” he asked in a whisper.

“I don’t know.” Roman said still looking around, “I don’t like it, something’s up. Stay close to me, okay.” Dee nodded and moved a trembling hand to his dagger.

Roman looked at the path ahead of them and felt fear and relief slam into him, just a few steps further of where Dee’s stick lied discarded on the ground, was it clear the ground under the leaves had been moved, Dee had been just there, so close to the now obvious trap.

Roman frowned before he slowly started to move forward, feeling how Dee hold of his tunic grew stronger. They moved slowly around the trap and continued along the road slowly, Roman was on alert searching the ground for more traps.

It was in the air.

He knew that one trap meant trouble.

Especially given that it was placed in the middle of the road.

And the birds had stopped singing he now noted; it was most likely what caught his attention in the first place.

They moved forward and suddenly loud hollers filled the forest, making Dee squeak in fright, causing his claws to sharpen along with his teeth as he pressed closer to Roman’s side. Roman grabbed his dagger with his hand but didn’t unsheathe it just yet.

Muggers suddenly appeared before them, weapons out, some of them laughing.

“I must say I admire your perception in avoiding our traps.” one of the muggers said, he was tall, and had red orange hair and a beard and bushy moustache his sword rested across his shoulder. A sneer painted his lips as he looked at Roman, who held Dee protectively at his side.

“‘Ey boss! Look ‘e got a little reptile!” another of the muggers laughed pointing at Dee who flinched and tried to hide between Roman and his mantle, Roman’s hold on him grew a bit stronger as he glared at the man.

“That he does.” the assumed leader said with a chuckle “Tell me, mister. How much did ya pay for it?”

“Bold of you to assume I would ever tell the likes of you, you scoundrel.” Roman snapped back.

“Oh, already calling names, how mature~. Too bad, you see, we are low on funds right now, and if we return to our leader without anything he will be the _most_ displeased, I want **_that_**.” The man said pointing at Dee with a dirty finger.

Dee whimpered slightly and clung to Roman who gave away a growl like noise.

“Over my dead body. _He_ is **not** for grabs, and if _you_ even **think** about touching a hair on his body, I will make sure you regret it severely.” Roman threatened, pulling Dee behind him, to hide him from the man’s pale green piercing eyes.

“Too bad.” the man said before giving away a loud belly laughter, before he smirked showing all his bad teeth “That can be arranged~.”

Roman froze when he heard leaves rustle behind him and suddenly Dee gave away a startled screech and Roman felt how the shipian was torn from his hold. Roman spun on his heel, seeing how they were surrounded, one of the muggers held Dee, who struggled in the hold, scratching and kicking to get free. Panic clear on his face.

Roman bared his teeth and spread his hand ready to bright forth his sword.

“Unhand him right now! You Beast!” he shouted, anger clear on his face.  
He had promised Dee nothing bad would happen to him!

Dee struggled before he looked to Roman and the panic on his face doubled, he gave away something akin to a scream, but if he said anything Roman wasn’t sure.

Something hard struck him in the back of the head making him grunt.

The world swirled and blurry before his eyes,   
the forest floor came rushing towards him.

“ _ROMAN!_ ”

Everything turned to black.

\- o -

Dee scream when Roman collapsed face first into the ground, blood already starting to coat the brown locks at the back of his head.

Dee struggled harder, tears growing in his eyes.

“ROMAN!” he cried, he needed to get to him.

He didn’t want Roman to die.

The man laughed as he walked over stepping hard on Roman’s back, making Roman give away a muffled groan, but didn’t otherwise react.

“That was almost _too_ easy.” the man taunted.

Dee felt anger flare up inside of him, and he grabbed the dagger and screamed as he stabbed it into the arm of the mugger who held him, making the man yelp in pain and let go.

Dee crashed to the ground and quickly got onto all four hissing and spitting before he rushed at the man. Dee screamed as he attacked, only to grunt when the man knocked the dagger out of his hand, making it land on the ground further away, before he picked Dee up by the wrist.

Dee hissed at him, sharp teeth bared as he tried to kick at the man, the man only laughed again.

“Oh look at you, such a fierce little _reptile_. What you gonna do? Kill me for hurting your master~” Dee growled and his claws sharpened from anger, he swung, hearing the man cry out in pain when Dee’s claws made contact with the softness of his cheek.

Dee felt a sense of pride when he saw the blood. He grunted when the man grabbed his face. “Why you little-” The man snarled. Dee growled and bit down hard on the offending hand. the man let go of his wrist and hit him on the head, to try and force him let go, Dee just growled and bit down harder, ignoring the taste of blood that filled his mouth.

“You damned pest!” another mugged suddenly called.

Dee grunted when he was kicked, hard. Sending him crashing to the forest floor, he scrambled to get back to his hands and feet only to cry out when another mugger stepped on top of his back to keep him pinned in place.

“A feral one.” the man huffed “I’m sure the leader can tame it sooner or later.”

Dee glared at the man, hissing as he tried to get free, only to cry out in pain when his arm was twisted behind his back and he was pulled to his feet.

“Pest like you need to learn their place!” the boss snapped and slapped Dee across the face, hard enough that Dee saw stars.

But it was also hard enough that memories of previous masters slammed to the forefront of his mind and he froze breath stuttering in his chest as memories assaulted him, making him lose sense of the presence.

“ _Now that’s better._ ” he distantly heard the leader say with a chuckle, but Dee was barely able to think, he was sinking fast.

The protective walls he lowered thanks to Roman slammed back up in full force.

The last thing Dee saw off Roman before he was dragged away off the road was the man still face down on the road in the dirt, unmoving.

“‘Ey boss! It already got shackles” the mugger that held him said.

“They can be removed. I know some nobles who would pay a hefty sum to get one this _young_.”

Dee felt sick.

  
He barely reacted when the ropes bound his wrists and ankles together, were fastened a bit too hard. He grunted when he was thrown onto a cart, full of crates, barrels and chests with stolen stuff he didn’t even want to know about. Dee curled up to try and become as small as possible, staring at the wooden frame of the cart. Doing his best to ignore the muggers, who laughed and joked around.

The cart started to move and Dee kept his eyes on the dark almost black twig before his face. The cart moved along a smaller road, which was bumpier than the main one. Making Dee stifle his noises of pain when the bumps made him hit his shoulder or head against the floor of the cart. He also tried to ignore the burning of his eyes, doing his best not to cry as the jeers and bad talk from the muggers started to get to him.

_He wanted Roman._

\- o -

Thick mist started to roll into the forest, the sun had since long vanished behind the horizon, making the only light source the swaying lantern on the cart.

Whispers started to fill the dark of the forest.  
Distorted, chanting intangible words.

Red streaks swirled in the mist now and again, making the whispers louder for just a moment, before they returned to the background droning.

“Damned mist, I can’t see a thing.” the mugger that sat at the front of the cart huffed, while also trying to keep the horse that was clearly not happy with the whispers calm.

A red glow filled the mist making the muggers share unsure looks.

“What’s going on boss?” one asked.

“I don’t know, but something is not happy.” the leader replied with a scowl, cradling the wounded hand to his chest, the wound on their cheek having coagulated and stopped bleeding for now.

“It’s magic, clearly.” another mugger said.

“Now don’t be stupid, idiot. Only the royals can use magic, that’s why they **are** royals, and they live in the capital, that’s _so_ far away we can’t reach it in a month on horse!”

“But-” the other started.

“There is no magic!”

The red swirls grew denser and started to dance around in the mist as the whispers grew louder and the chanting grew more intense. It did its job in unsettling the muggers, who were looking around in fear, only the leader glared out into the mist with a hard expression.

The horse made a fearful noise and seemed to flinch at every whisper.

One silhouette slowly appeared further ahead on the less travelled path in the mist, making the one riding the cart yelp and stop the hose.

Dee didn’t move.  
He did blink when a series of thuds reached his ears and he lifted his head slowly to look to the front of the cart to see how they had all been seemingly put to sleep.

Steps crunched the leaves as someone walked around the cart.

Dee shivered and closed his eyes, not daring to move.

The steps grew closer and then stopped, making him freeze.

“Dee?”

Dee’s eyes flew open as he turned the best he could to look at whoever it was that said his name.

Roman stood there with a tired smile on his lips, red swirling around him like a silhouette. Dee made a keening noise tears growing in his eyes, having not noticed when the binds had been removed. He scrambled to get to Roman, who easily caught him in his arms, holding him close to his chest. Dee made a broken noise clinging to the human for dear life, not caring if his claws tore at the fabrics as he cried, burrowing his face into Roman’s shoulder.

“Shh, Shh, I’m here, I’m here little snake, it’s going to be okay.” Roman murmured into the blond locks, as he walked around the cart again. Starting to walk along the path he came, the mist opening for him like a cloak, showing him the way.

A grunt came from behind them, followed by a string of curses.

“You _bastard_.”

Roman stopped walking turning around to face the cart where the leader slowly stood up.

A pale grey light sparked and dropped from him like thick mud. The leader had magic too, but it looked wrong and sick.

Roman frowned.

“ **WAKE UP!** ” the man barked his order. Causing the others grunt and huff as they woke up again. Grey sparking in their eyes for a short moment before it dispersed into nothing.

Dee made a scared noise and clung to Roman who hushed him gently before he moved Dee so he was holding him with one arm, gently hiding him from view with the mantle.

“You _dare_ steal **my** goods?” the leader growled, drawing their sword.

“ _He_ does not belong to you.” Roman said in a harsh tone, layered by the voices of the mist.

“If you’re going to be this much of a problem, I’ll make sure to kill you this time!” he snapped jumping down from the cart and advancing towards Roman.

Dee whimpered again.

Roman’s glare hardened and he spread his fingers on his free hand, with a bright red flash his sword appeared in his hold. Meanwhile the red magic that had dimmed in the mist swirled back up in power around him, showing his anger and frustration, by how the magic twitched and sparked. Dee made a frightened noise looking around with wide eyes and hid his face in Roman’s shoulder, but he blinked when a gentle warmth stroked his cheek and he peeked up again to find how the tendrils of magic swirled protectively around him and Roman.

“Magic?!” one of the muggers cried from the cart. “I _knew_ it! I said so!”

“Oh shut it!” a second mugger snapped right back. Roman ignored them.

“If you value your lives, you will never show your face again. You shall leave, and if you so much as touch a shipian again I will make sure you regret it.” Roman spoke “And if I see you again I will show _no_ mercy.”

“Who the hell do you think you are punk?! No one orders me around!” the leader snapped. The grey magic twitched and blobbed sickly.

“ _I_ am **Prince Roman** of **The Hummingford**! And I swear on the magic that courses through my veins and these lands that great misfortune shall befall you if you do not heed my warning.” Roman growled. “Now, **_be gone_**!”

His magic swirling up behind him, starting to take the form of an angry growling beast, slowly it formed the shape of a dragon. Tail curled protectively around Roman and Dee, as it roared at the muggers, causing the leaves and branches to sway from the strong gust of wind that the roar caused.

The horse made a scared screech and bolted, breaking the cart in the process as it ran off into the darkness of the forest.  
The muggers screamed and ran as well.  
The leader stood still for a moment longer daring to be brave, only to run when the dragon and Roman made a deep growling noise.

The dragon turned its head to look at Dee who stared right back at it with wide, wide eyes. The dragon moved its snout forward and licked Dee across the face, causing Dee to give away a startled giggle. The dragon closed its eyes and it became translucent before it was gently whisked away by the wind, only small tendrils of red light remaining swirling around in the air.

Roman exhaled as he let his sword vanish, before he pulled Dee close, hugging the shipian tightly.

“Are you okay?” he asked, letting go to get a better look at Dee’s face, that was bloodied from when he bit the leader in the hand and bruised from the punch. “Did they hurt you?” Dee shook his head, only to winch in pain when Roman gently stroked his fingers along the bruise on his swollen cheek.

“But you- you got- you- Okay?” Dee stuttered out, with a slight tremble to his voice. Roman blinked before he realised what Dee was referring too.

“I’m fine. It’s going take more than a whimsy wooden club to keep me down.” Roman chuckled.

A broken noise left Dee and Roman smile grew gentler as tears grew in Dee’s eyes. The shipian tried to speak but only a sob fell from his lips. Roman held him close again.

“I thought- I thought-” Dee hiccupped as he clung to Roman, trying to speak but having troubles to speak between the sobs and hiccups.

“I’m here, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, Dee.” Roman cooed as he kissed the crown of Dee’s head making Dee look up at him with teary eyes. Roman smiled as he stroked his hand along the scales on Dee’s face; Dee leaned into the touch with a sniffle. Roman chuckled before he took out his handkerchief with magic and rubbed it over Dee’s face to get the blood, tears and snot away. “My brave little snake.”

Dee stared at him.  
It didn’t feel like being spoken about like an object, it felt more… similar to how he had heard the masters or servants had spoken to their own children.  
He… he wasn’t against that.  
It, it felt… nice.

Dee didn’t want to get back to the ground and Roman didn’t seem inkled on putting him down either.

He was exhausted, from both the panic and relief and the crying as a whole. Dee nuzzled into the space between Roman’s shoulder and neck, closing his eyes.

A small smile grew on his lips when he felt how Roman pulled his mantle closer around him to keep him safe from the chill of the night.

In the gentle lights of the red swirls that lit up their way Dee slept. Feeling the safest he had ever since he had been dragged away from the place he had once called home.

Roman’s scent was calming to his senses. Cinnamon, apples and roses, mixed with something that was purely _Roman_.

Dee dreamed gentle dreams as he slept, dreams made of blurry memories of his family, but the dream shifted and reformed, and instead of his dad walking next to him, it was Roman, smiling at him with a smile as warm as the sun in summer, Dee only smiled wider in his sleep, snuggling closer to Roman. Roman sent a glance down at him and cooed to himself before he gave a kiss to the blond curls atop of Dee’s head.

\- o -

Roman returned to the temporary campsite he had made, not far from the main road, with a twitch of his finger the fire flared back to life.

Roman knew Dee valued his personal space, and made to place him down on the ground, so he could take out the two bedrolls from the backpack. Only to grunt and blink in surprise when Dee suddenly clung to him, having woken up just recently and seemingly not wanting to be alone, he kept sending scared glances out into the dark, a small scared noise leaving the back of his throat as he pressed closer to Roman.

Roman gave away a small sad smile before he pulled Dee close.

“It’s okay, my little snake. You’re safe here.” Dee just whined and shook his head, hiding his face in Roman’s chest.

“I don’t want this to be a dream.” Dee sniffled. “I don’t want to open my eyes and find that I’m still on the cart.”

“Shh, hey, look at me.” Roman spoke gently, making Dee slowly blink up at him, tears streaming down his cheeks. Roman stroked one away with his thumb as he smiled. “I can promise you this is not a dream.” Dee just sniffled again and looked away.

Roman frowned; he knew Dee would just be scared and sad if he was forced to sleep in his own bedroll. Roman looked to the backpack and willed his magic to bring up one of the two bedrolls.

The fire flickered as he laid the bedroll down next to them.

“Well, we both need to sleep to be able to continue our travel tomorrow, but.” Dee rubbed at his eye, trying to brush the tears and snot away, as he watched Roman. “It’s a bit cold, tonight, don’t you think? Logan have kept telling me snuggles is perfect for getting warm.”

“Snuggles?”

“Yeah.” Roman said as he kicked off his boots. Dee blinked at him; Roman smiled as he poked Dee at the side, making the half snake squeak. Roman blinked. “Oh? Oh what was that?”

“N-nothing!” Dee sputtered, only to squeal with laughter when Roman started to tickle his sides again. Roman gave away a fake roar as he pulled Dee close ticking the young shipian’s sides and blowing raspberries onto his tummy, making Dee shriek from laughter kicking his legs and crying from a completely different reason this time. Roman laughed along with Dee before he let himself fall to the side on top of the bedroll as he chuckled, holding Dee close. Dee slowly caught his breath again, giggling now and again.

“Sleepy time.” Roman said and the two remove the outer layers of their clothes, before Roman wormed his way into the bedroll and then opened the flap to let Dee inside. The half snake snuggled close, burrowing his face into Roman’s chest.

“I like snuggles.” Dee mumbled before he yawned, only to blink and blep when Roman bopped him on the nose, Roman cooed at the sight only to laugh when Dee hid his face against his chest again from embarrassment. After a while Dee nuzzled closer, falling asleep again. Roman smiled as he closed his eyes, knowing his protective circle was up around them once more and that his magic was more than ready to tear anyone who dared come close to shreds.

He kissed the top of Dee’s head and murmured a good night into the blond curls, before he let sleep take him too.

\- o - O - o -

Birdsong was the first sign of morning as the forest was still shrouded in shadows.

Roman blinked his eyes open when something small landed on his nose, opening his eyes and focusing on the creature on his nose he saw a butterfly that was flapping its wings. Roman gently blew some air on it making the insect fly away.

Roman yawned as he looked around at the slowly brightening forest before he turned his face down, to look at Dee. The shipian hadn’t moved much during the night, still clinging to Roman’s chest as he snored softly.

“Dee, time to wake up.” Roman called as he gently gave Dee’s shoulder a shake to wake him. Dee groaned unhappily and burrowed his face into Roman’s chest, only making Roman laugh. “Come on, no more sleepy time.”

A pair of bi-coloured eyes glared up at him only making Roman laugh again.

Dee was grumpy the whole walk through the forest. Pouting and clearly cold and still tired. But his emotions brightened when they exited the forest and came out into the sunlight. He sighed as he closed his eyes and just basked in the warmth for a moment before he followed after Roman, with more energy than before.

The sun was in the middle of the sky when they reached the top of a hill they had been walking up for a while. Roman smiled proudly when he got to the top, hands on his hips. Dee was huffing for breath, hands on his knees when he stopped, a slight strained cough left him before he lifted his eyes to take in the landscape and stared.

The landscape spread out before them in all the autumn colours, the road was curling around some more hills but now descending downwards and on a hill further away was the Hummingford.

The castle stood tall and proper, the towers and spires tall and despite the castles grey dull colour it gave of a strangely inviting look, if you looked close enough you could see the colourful flags and banners that hung from the windows and walls.

At the foot of the hill that the castle resided on, was settlement spread out around a natural harbour of a big lake that spread out widely and almost reached the horizon. It was connected to the sea by a swirling but deep river. Making it home to both sweet and saltwater fish as the lake was brackish.

Fields of grain shone golden in the sunlight, swaying in the breeze, and further out on the grasslands cattle and sheep walked, eating the grass and the leaves of the trees they could reach, amongst oaks and hazel. At the hill further away a windmill stood, the big wings turning in the wind from the lake.

Roman started to walk again now with more vigour, knowing they were almost home, but he noticed Dee wasn’t following and turned around to look at the shipian.

“Dee, come on. If we keep the pace we will reach the Hummingford by sundown!” Dee blinked seeming snapped out of his stupor and nodded quickly, hurrying to catch up too Roman as they started to walk, towards the city.

\- o -

They once again took to eating while walking.

Dee was nibbling on a piece of dried apple when they got closer to a mill, which was spinning its big wings to make the grinding stones inside move.

Dee could only stare; he had never seen such a thing so close before.

“Oh! My lord, you have returned!” a male voice called from the steps of the mill, handing a bag of wheat over to someone that stood in the doorway.

“Yes. I’ve returned from my quest.” Roman replied as he stopped walking.

“Who’s your little companion?” the person in the doorway asked, a strong looking woman with greying brown hair gathered in a bun on top of her head.

“Ah, this is Dee. I saved him from a really shady merchant.” Roman said as he took a step to the side, no longer shielding Dee from their sight. Dee gave away a startled noise, almost choking on the piece of apple he was eating and gave a startled stiff wave, having not been expecting to be called upon, let alone talk to anyone.

“Aw you poor thing. You better take care of him my lord or Chief pharmacist Emile will get angry with you.” Roman just laughed in reply.

“I know, but we better keep going.” Roman said as he gently pushed Dee along.

“Oh! And my lord!” one of them called.

“Yes?”

“Tell Prince Thomas that the millwork is going fine, after last year’s repairs.” Roman gave a thumb up in reply as he and Dee continued to walk.

“Who were they?” Dee asked when the mill and its workers were out of earshot.

“They’re the Millers. They keep the mills running when the grain needs to be grinded into flour.”

“Oh.” Dee blinked before he nodded to himself. Roman smiled at him before he returned his attention to the road once more.

\- o -

They were greeted by more villagers out on the fields, some waved their hands in greeting along with warm smiles, and some called their well wishes to Roman, which he replied too.

Dee noticed how Roman seemed to get happier the closer they got to the castle and city, but Dee felt nervous, he had never been good around people, the small village they had rested in that been good, because the people out on the farms were kinder than the big city people, from what he found. Mostly big cities were segregated between humans and shipians. He wondered if the city below the Hummingford was the same.

The sun was low in the sky when they got to the outskirts of the city. A group of young children were already running ahead of them shouting that prince Roman had returned,

The sudden attention so much bigger than before, made Dee’s skin crawl, he did his best to not grab the other humans attention. Trying his best to let it stay on Roman, who waved and laughed and played with the children who asked to be picked up.

Dee did not have a good time. The constant stream of people and the ever shifting shadows of the people moving made his breath stutter and he flinched more often than not at sudden noises or movement, far too close for his liking.

His thoughts were going haywire.

He saw people he rather forget it the blurry people around him.

Too much, it was too much!

Dee’s hand shot out before he could thing to grab Roman’s cape, causing the prince to halt his walking and turnaround, a giggling child in his arms.

“Yes Dee?” Roman asked. They had stopped walking. Roman frowned when he noticed that Dee was shaking. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Roman put the child back to the ground as he crouched down before Dee who was struggling to breathe. Roman only got a broken animalistic noise from Dee, who wasn’t looking at anything, eyes glazed over.

Roman recognized that look; Virgil got it when he experienced an anxiety or panic attack. Roman knew there was no way he would be able to calm Dee down amongst the crowd of citizens. So instead he scoped the half snake up in his arms, knowing that it was a bad move since Dee rarely wanted to be touched when he was this panicked, but Roman was doing his best to help him calm down as he gave stiff smiles to the people who asked if the little shipian was okay, Roman didn’t answer them as he started to walk with haste towards the castle, knowing there were less people there.

Roman walked up the serpentine road that led to the Hummingford, it was clear of people, only the two town’s guard that was taking their patrol and turning on the lanterns for the night.

Roman sat Dee down on a rock next to the road, crouching down before him as he tapped the breathing exercise onto the back of Dee’s hand. Gently murmuring that Dee was doing well and to continue to breathe and that he was safe and okay. It took a while before Dee’s breathing calmed down and he blinked back into the present, looking up at Roman with worried eyes.

“There you are.” Roman smiled with a sigh of relief “You feeling better?” Dee nodded before he slumped against Roman’s chest, he was warm, and Dee was tired. “We’re almost at the castle, do you want to walk the last couple feet’s or should I carry you?” Dee nuzzled closer for a moment before he shuffled off the rock and got to his feet.

“I can walk...” he said.

Roman nodded and straightened up holding out his hand for Dee to take. Dee stared at it before he took it; Roman gave the smaller hand a squeeze before he started to walk up the path.

The last of the sun’s light fading to deep blues and purples in the sky.

\- o -

Roman gave away a whistle when he reached the gate, which was closed for the night. Holding a sleeping Dee in his arms, the shipian had started to fall asleep halfway up the road. Dee snuggled closer to get the warmth Roman radiated, snoring softly as he clung to Roman’s sash and shirt, his own and Roman’s cape keeping him protected from the chilled night air that rolled in from the lake.

“Sate your name and business!” a guard shouted from the walkway on the wall over the gate.

“Prince Roman of the Hummingford! Business it to return back home again.” Roman called back.

“Open the gate!”

The gate gave away a sigh and a clunk and the rustling sound of keys was heard from the other side, before a smaller door in the big gate door was opened. Roman stepped through the entrance, smiling at the guard who opened the door for him.

“I see you found a companion.” the guard said with a smile.

“Yes, a small snake shipian.” Roman replied, before he looked to one of the younger guards. “Could you run and give word to Thomas and as well as tell the maids and servants to make sure a fire is started in the fire places.” the guard nodded and ran off.

The gate closed behind him with a loud thud, causing Dee to wake for a moment lifting his head too look around, giving away a confused noise.

“We’re home, welcome to the Hummingford, Dee.” Dee smiled tiredly before he fell asleep again.

Roman walked along the corridors, heels clanking against the stone floor, before the carpet dulled his steps, Dee had woken up when they entered the castle and was now walking next to him. The guard passed them, giving a bow before he continued, to return to his post.

Roman walked into the throne room where he quickly found Thomas, the oldest of the siblings at the Hummingford.

“Roman!” Thomas called happily, throwing his arms open. He was wearing a deep red mantle, and a tunic that shimmered in silver as well as rainbows, atop his head a small band of silver rested.

“Brother.” Roman called as well as he walked forward and hugged his oldest brother close. Dee watched silently, not sure what to do.

Thomas’s brown eyes fell upon the young shipian and he smiled.

“Roman, who’s our young shipian friend?” Thomas asked. Roman pulled back from Thomas and gestured for Dee to come closer.

“This is Dee; I saved him from a merchant.” Roman explained. “I had to buy him.” Roman said it like it was a foul word. “We need your help to get the shackles off him.” Thomas got a sad look on his face as he crouched down and gently took one of Dee’s wrists in his hand to get a look on the shackles, only to frown when he saw the scars. He looked up to look Dee in the eyes.

“Welcome to the Hummingford, no more pain or hardships will come to you here.” Thomas spoke “Now, with these shackles, I will need to prepare for the spell as well as get the components I will need, but with the hour so late. I will have to ask you to wait a bit longer, but I promise you I will remove them for you, give me three weeks to get everything ready.”

\- o - O - o -

Three weeks.

That was the time until Dee would be freed of the shackles.  
Dee was having troubles accepting it.

Roman had ended up sharing his bed with the shipian, who had tried to sleep in the room that was assigned to him, but it became too big and scary, with the dark shadows and new scents and Dee had scrambled back to Roman’s side near tears.

Roman hadn’t noticed until he woke up that morning, finding the shipian clinging to his sleep shirt for dear life, the sharp claw like nails poking holes in the fabric. But he understood, because Patton had also acted in a similar manner once he was free.

The castle was new, big and a scary, being full of unfamiliar scents and sounds and Roman was not going to deprive Dee of his sense of safety, until he got used to the new space.

With the day underway, Roman showed Dee the castle. First the insides, where they ended up meeting Patton near the kitchen. Patton had perked up instantly upon seeing them, dressed in a plain blue tunic and brown pants, legs fully that of a dog, with a long fluffy tail that instantly started to wag from his happiness. Patton was the somewhat mother hen of the shipians at the castle as he had a pretty strong instinct to care about all of them.

Dee had squeaked and hissed loudly and hid behind Roman’s legs, almost causing the prince to stumble. Roman tried to help ease the sudden tension but Dee did not want to get any closer to the canine shipian. Roman only managed an apologetic smile to Patton who looked so dejected, ears and tail dropped. It made Roman pout sadly, before he led Dee along being a protective force between the two shipians. They got some breakfast from Patton before they continued to move throughout the castle.

They found Virgil and Logan in the castles gigantic library.

Dee stared at all the books, slowing down his walk, while Roman happily walked over to Logan, who gave away a startled grunted when he suddenly found himself bear hugged from behind.

“REMUS-!” Logan choked out before he was dropped again and turned around to find that instead of the twin wearing the moustache, he found Roman smirking back at him. “Ah- Roman, welcome back. I take it your journey went well.” Logan said as he fixed his glasses and cravat.

“Yeah, took a bit longer than I originally planned, but eh, can’t keep the same tempo with the companion I took with...” the two humans voices droned on but Dee stopped listening as he took in the library. It was gigantic, big walls covered in high shelves filled with hundreds upon hundreds of books. Ladders able to roll along the shelves and stairs that went up to several more floors, with even more books and tables. At the very top the roof, made out of a big glass dome, which let in the sunlight, shrouding the whole library in light.

Dee didn’t hear the muffled thud nor the silent steps that moved closer from behind him until he felt someone or something sniff at his neck. Dee flinched and spun around to face a pair of bright violet eyes that stared right back at him with thinned pupils somewhat hidden behind a curtain of black hair. Dee squeaked and stumble over his own feet almost falling over. Before he ran towards Roman, for protection.

The other shipian tilted their head in confusion, making the black cat ears perk in interest, they were dressed in a brown west with a purple scarf and black pants, arms and feet free of fabrics, revealing how their body grew furrier and their hands and feet were more cat like than human. The tail was not as long as normally, but it was not as short as Dee’s.

They crouched down giving a bit of a butt wiggle before they chased after the half snake.

Dee knew feline shipians were unpredictable, the few he had come in contact with were cruel and many viewed him as a play thing, more than of the similar species.

He couldn't help the scream that left his throat when he was tackled to the floor, but he managed to worm his way out of the hold and scrambled to hide behind Roman’s leg

“Dee? Hey! No, no! Virgil- STOP!” Roman shouted quickly pushing Dee behind him and getting between the two. Dee heard the feline give away an unhappy huff. Dee trembled and shook as he tried to hide between Roman and his cape. Virgil looked unhappy as he stalked over to Logan instead and crossed his arms as he leaned on the shorter human, rubbing his head against Logan’s shoulder, only making the human sigh.

“What’s his problem? I was just saying _hi_.” Virgil grumbled into Logan’s dark brown locks.

“From what I could gather the young shipian did not find anything remotely nice about that greeting. Please refrain from punching on any of the new arrivals.” Logan scolded. Virgil just huffed again with a pout.

“I wasn’t going to hurt him.” he whined.

“He wouldn’t know that.” Roman said picking up the still shaken shipian, holding him protectively in his arms. “We were mindful of your boundaries when you came here. Please be mindful of his as well.”

“Ugh _fiiiiiiine_.”

“Dee?” Roman asked the shipian flinched and peeked up at him “This is Logan and Virgil, I’ve told you about him, remember?” Dee nodded stiffly. “I promise he won’t hurt you.” Dee peeked out more from where he hid his face and gave a scared look at Virgil who tilted his head before he moved closer only making Dee flinch and hide again. Virgil huffed before he crouched to not be as tall, Dee peeked out at him again and Virgil just blinked back. It took a while before Dee dared to stiffly lift his hand up and Virgil huffed before he bowed his head and pushed against it, feeling the fingers flinch and freeze before they started move slowly.

Dee stared widely at the black hair before he put his other hand there too, and Virgil smiled slightly before he peeked up to find Dee staring back at him. Roman could feel how Dee relaxed in his hold and soon put the young shipian back to the floor, Virgil crouched down before them, giving away a purring noise as he buffed Dee in the chest, bringing forth a started giggle from the half snake. Roman couldn’t help but laugh at Dee’s almost troll bound fascination with Virgil’s black feline ears.

“Dee?” Logan asked, looking at Roman with a raised eyebrow.

“He didn’t have a name, and Dee was the name he liked the best of the ones I could figure up on the spot. Oh! Logan!” Logan hummed, watching Virgil blep at Dee who gave away a small snicker and bleped back. “Do you think you could teach him how to read and write?” Logan looked back at Roman “He wanted to learn, I started teaching him to learn to recognize his name, and recognize some of the letters off the alphabet, but I’m not... the best teacher, you’re way better than me, and you also doesn’t have as many princely duties as I do, do you think you can teach him?”

“I’m offended you would think I’d say no.” Logan said with a small smirk, fixing his glasses. “No worries, I can teach him all he wants to know.”

The sound of harsh coughing made them return their attention to Dee and Virgil, only to find how Virgil had jerked back, staring at Dee with worried eyes ears folded back while the younger shipian was coughing harshly into the collar of his shirt that he held in his hands.

“Oh no...” Roman groaned sympathetically as he rubbed Dee’s back the best he could. “I thought we conquered that sickness of yours.” Dee just gave him a weak raspy squeak in reply when the cough attack subsided, eyes teary from the strain and lack of air. “We better get you to Emile right away so he can figure out what’s wrong with you.” Roman said as he changed his hold of Dee, the shipian shivering and shaking with the now rising fever. Virgil rose to his full height, almost taller than Roman, but only with the tips of his ears.

“He’s sick?”

“Yes, the sickness doesn’t want to give up its hold on him, I tried with the medicine Emile taught me, but it didn’t help in the long run.” Roman said while Dee coughed again and rubbed unhappily at his throat. Roman gave away a sympathetic coo, before he bid Virgil and Logan farewell to find Emile.

\- o -

Roman walked with certain steps towards the house outside of the castle, near the gigantic castle garden, where the castle’s pharmacists worked and lived. Emile, being the one with the most knowledge, Dee was taking everything in with wide glassy eyes, he could actively feel the fever returning with a vengeance, causing him to shiver and push closer to Roman for warmth. Roman nuzzled his cheek against the top of Dee’s head in comfort.

Roman knocked on the wooden door of the pharmacy before he opened it. Only to find the big main room empty. The room smelled of dried herbs and potions and spice making Dee sneeze.

“Excuse me?” Roman called at the same time, and a yelp was heard from further away followed by a loud crashing sound and several thuds and some strangled curses. Roman moved closer to find how Sloan was lying on the floor surrounded by books and papers rubbing his head.

“Oh! Hi! Roman- I mean- My lord! You’ve returned!” the pale human called as he scrambled to his feet dusting off his tunic, vest and pants before he grinned at Roman, but he blinked when his eyes landed on Dee. “Oh? Who is this?”

“This is Dee, our newest member of the castle.” Roman said with a smile, “Is Emile in? Dee’s sick, and this sickness is one stubborn thing...”

“Oh yeah! Emile is in the garden harvesting some of the Calendulas.”

“Thank you, Sloan… Do you require assistance with this?” Roman made a sweeping motion to the mess on the floor with his free hand.

“Uhh… No- no I go it. I was supposed to sort them anyway, but I... kinda fell asleep...” Sloan scratched at his cheek while he gave an uncertain laugh. Roman just smiled before he gave the pharmacy apprentice a good luck wish and went out the door that led to the gigantic castle garden, as well as to the big greenhouse for the plants that weren’t native in these parts of the world.

And true to Sloan’s words, Roman caught sight of the perked ears and swishing fluffy tail amongst the orange-yellow flowers.

“Emile!” Roman called, causing the ears twitch before Emile looked up, brown hair in a wild mess on his head, some orange flower petals stuck to the locks. His skin was pale, but he had some patches of darker skin, mainly around his eyes.

“Roman!” Emile called happily as he got to his feet, standing one head taller than Roman as he pretty much jumped over to them, clawed black furred feet tapping against the rocks that made up the pathways. He was dressed in a pale pink poet shirt with rolled up sleeves and brown pants with a high waist and a weathered brown apron, dirtied with both soil and droplets from potions and flower sap.

Emile halted before them blinking at Dee, behind his glasses, before he smiled warmly at the young shipian. “Hey.” he said as he reached out and stroked the back of his gloved finger against Dee’s scaled and slightly flushed cheek, Dee just blinked back to tired to give any stronger reaction. “You don’t look like you’re feeling very good, buddy.”

“He’s not. I need your help; he got this really stubborn cough and fever that doesn’t want to go away.”

“Aww well that doesn’t sound like fun.” Emile said, ears dropping. “Let’s get inside and I will do some tests and see if I can figure out what he needs.” Emile said as he scurried off to get a weaved basket that was filled with the harvested flowers before he led Roman along back towards the house.

“I did give him that potion you taught me.”

“Oh!? And that didn’t help?”

“No it helped for a while.”

Both Roman and Emile crooned sadly when Dee once again was attacked by a rough round of coughs, leaving his wheezing and even more exhausted, and it was clear the fever was back at full force now with how he shivered and clung to Roman for warmth. Emile dusted off his feet and removed his gloves revealing clawed fingers and walked over to a bowl to clean his hands despite the gloves, telling Roman to put Dee on the table.

Sloan looked up from the papers and books, but when it was clear Emile didn’t need his help, he returned to the sorting of the books and papers. Emile walked over to a smaller table further back in the room to get the equipment he would need, before he started to do the normal check up. Telling Dee to open his mouth wide so he could get a look at the back of his throat and tongue; listening to his lungs check his ears and nose amongst other things. Emile hummed as he mentally checked off things in his head before he nodded.

“How long were you sick before Roman found you?” Emile asked, making Dee jolt at suddenly being asked something, instead of being directed to either lift his arms, open his mouth again or breathe deeply.

“I… I don’t know… sorry...” Dee mumbled hoarsely.

“That’s okay.” Emile smiled before he walked over to a shelf full of small drawers and boxes full of different ingredients; some prepared into a fine dust others just holding dried herbs and grounded seeds and fermented leaves, as well as jars with sap and syrup. Emile gathered the ingredients he would need for the medicine humming under his breath, tail swinging left and forth with his humming. “Roman told me he got you some medicine before, but it didn’t help for long, so from the look on things you might need something stronger to take regularly, and not whenever Roman is able to make it like during the trip here.” Emile spoke as he put the things together in a small wooden bowl, mixing the dry ingredients together first before adding the wetter ones and then pouring boiling water into it before starting to ground it. Emile then poured it over to another bowl that had a piece of linen cloth over it, to get the bigger bits out, before he poured the liquid into a big vial. He then added a big spoon of honey, before he put on the lid properly and then gave the vial a good shake.

“Emile?” Roman asked

“Almost done.” Emile said still shaking the vial, before he took out a small glass and placed it on the table, never stopping the shaking of the bottle. The liquid grew into a more golden colour and Emile gave it a sniff before he nodded and stopped shaking the vial before he removed the lid and poured the content into the glass, before walking over to them. He handed the vial to Roman and the glass to Dee. “Here you go, drink up, it will help.” Dee sniffed at it only to grimace.

“It smells... weird...” Dee said weakly.

“Agreed, but it gets the job done. It’s stronger than the medicine Roman made you, so take this in the morning, preferable around breakfast, in the middle of the day and before you go to bed.” Emile said beaming. Dee didn’t look convinced but he grabbed his nose with his free hand to squeeze it shut before he downed the continent glass. Doing a full body shudder and made an unhappy whine at the taste, but he managed to swallow it down and not throw it up again. Roman squeezed his shoulder in comfort.

“Was it really that bad?”

“Yesh!” Dee whined sticking his tongue out to try and get the taste of the medicine off it.

“The medicine can make him tired, so as an advice, take a nap after drinking it.”

“Right.” Roman said with a nod, Dee just grumbled in reply only to yawn wide. “Let’s get you to bed okay?” Roman said with a chuckle as he put the vial on the table before gathering Dee in his arms again.

“But we haven’t seen the whole castle...” Dee mumbled in a tired slur.

“The castle isn’t going anywhere. It will be here when you wake up again.” Roman said with a warm smile before he took the vial when Dee was secure in his arms, and said farewell to Emile and Sloan.

“If anything happens and he gets worse you know where to find me!” Emile called, Roman nodded with a smile. He moved towards Dee’s chamber, putting the shipian on the bed before he removed his shoes and clothes until he was in only his pants and shirt. Dee had fallen asleep during the walk and mumbled something in his sleep when Roman lowered him down on the bed, before tucking him in. Roman placed the vial on the table next to the bed and stroked some of the unruly blond locks away from Dee’s face before he kissed Dee on the forehead.

“Sweet dreams my little snake.” Roman murmured before he straightened up and made to leave only to halt when a small hand grabbed his.

Roman looked back down to find that Dee was still asleep, and the grip of his hand was growing lax. “I’m not going anywhere.” Roman said as he grabbed a chair and sat down next to the bed, watching Dee sleep at first before he turned his attention to himself and moved his hands in a way that made the air tremble before his book appeared before him and Roman snapped his fingers silently making a quill made from a ostrich appear in his hand and he started to write, making the room fill with a gentle red glow.

Dee gave away a whine in his sleep and Roman let his magic swirl out in the room, making Dee quiet down fairly quick.

\- o -

Normally three weeks didn’t feel like a very long time, but for Dee it felt like an eternity. He was anxious and hopeful all at once, leaving him confused as to what he felt.

When he woke up again after his medicine indulged nap, he found Roman next to the bed, snoring in the armchair. The nap had left Dee feeling better, a bit worn from the still existing fever that the medicine had lowered, but he still wanted to see the rest of the castle. Roman had just sighed with a smile before showing him the rest of the castle grounds.

They met some of the other shipians at the castle, some were canine, like Patton or feline like Virgil, but there were also other subspecies of the Shipian race. A group of chipmunks and squirrels, with brown fluffy hair and furry ears, they did seem like they were all related, all 12 of them, despite being such a big scurry, they tended to gather into smaller groups so it was rare that Dee caught sight of them all in one place, that mostly only happened during the meal time in the big hall that housed everyone in the castle during meal time, the hall was full of long tables of different kinds and at the end of the hall stood the three throne like chairs where the princes sat, a few steps higher than the other ground of the meal hall.

What surprised Dee the most, was when Roman introduced him to Percy, a bright pink shipian who was of the avian kind, extremely rare. Percy had bright pink hair that hid several pink feathers that travelled down to frame his face. he wore a shirt that was more an apron with how it left his back and sides free from fabrics and open to reveal the bright pink feathers that spurted from the tanned arms connecting the arms to the sides and back forming into a pair of majestic pink wings that shifted from light pink hues at the tips to the darker hues near the arms with brighter magenta splotching the feathers. His feet were talons with pale scales, but when Dee looked closer he could see how the talons had been declawed and the wings clipped, and he felt the phantom pains hiss from his own cut tail. Didn’t stop Percy from bossing others around despite the abuse and pain the humans forced upon him.

Roman wasn’t overly worried when Dee got familiar enough with the castle that he ran off on his own. Roman mostly found him eagerly observing Emile while the older shipian worked in the gardens and in the pharmacy. Emile didn’t seem bothered by the little reptilian shadow he got from time to time throughout the days, he even started to teach Dee the basics of what different plants and herbs could do, and which plants were edible, Dee listened and nodded along, soaking in the knowledge like a sponge. If Roman couldn’t find him following Emile around like a duckling, he went to the library, where he was bound to find Dee in the middle of Logan teaching him how to read and write. All the while Virgil watched lazily, from the worn couch that was his in the library. It stood where the sun always shone throughout the glass dome window, making it the perfect spot to bask in the sunlight with no risk of getting pestered by insects or other shipians, plus the library held a comfortable hush that wasn’t found anywhere else in the castle during the day.

It took Dee about a week to get used to the fact that none of the canine or feline shipians at the castle would harm him. But once he did Roman could find him taking a nap next to Virgil on the couch, which surprised both Logan and Roman, since they knew Virgil was a bit territorial about his belongings, or Roman would catch sight of Dee in the kitchen with Patton. Dee was always smelling of sweats and baked goods when he invaded Roman’s bed later when the night pulled his mantle over the world, even if he had slept alone just fine in his own room after taking the medicine. It was a learning curve, and Roman would let him take his time to get used to everything. Dee were still young and quite small, despite having clearly grown since Roman first found him, so Dee sharing the bed’s big space with Roman was not a problem Roman felt any need correcting.

\- o -

At the start of the third week, Roman woke to the sound of a series of rapt knocks on his door. He easily wormed his way out of Dee’s hold and got up, shivering when his naked feet landed on the chilled stone floor. Another series of knocks came making Roman huff.

“I’m coming, yeesh.” he unlocked the door and opened it a crack, hissing at the bright light from the torches that lit up the hall. It was still dark outside, even if the sky was growing brighter in the east.

“My apologies my lord, but his royal highness has requested your presence immediately.” the guard said, Roman blinked.

“What? Why?”

“He did not tell me.”

“Fine, I’ll be out in a moment.” Roman said as he closed the door, before taking on his clothes and boots. While also making sure the fire in the hearth was started again so Dee would wake up in a warm room. Roman stopped at the door and turned to look back at Dee who was pretty much hidden by the thick duvet. Roman walked over and tucked him in and kissed his forehead, noting that Dee was still not free from the fever, even if it was very low. Dee mumbled something and vanished in under the blankets making Roman chuckle before he left the room, the guard was still waiting for him.

The two walked alongside each other before they came to Thomas’s study. The Guard opened the door and then closed it once Roman had passed the threshold. Roman looked inside to find how Thomas sat on a chair, fingers together and resting his nose against it as he looked down at a letter that lied on the desk. Logan was in the room too, along with Virgil who looked like he was seconds away from falling asleep standing up.

“You asked for me.” Roman said, making Thomas look up and sigh.

“Yes, I did. Sorry about the hour.”

“Eh, that’s fine. What’s wrong?” Thomas turned the letter around and pushed it towards Roman before he leaned back in the chair, making the leather creak.

“Our dear brother has caused some havoc.” Thomas said sounding exhausted. Roman grimaced as he moved over to take the letter.

“When did you get this?” Roman asked turning the letter around to see if anything was written on the back.

“Earlier this morning.” Thomas rubbed at his face tiredly. “I had my window open and Remy’s falcon found its way inside and slapped me in the face with its wings until I woke up.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything else from Remy’s birds.” Roman chuckled before he sobered up and looked at Logan. “So what do we do?”

“Well, from the letter it is clear Remus is no longer there. Which leads to a few options, he’s either on his way back home, or his quest takes him further away.” Logan said and fixed his glasses. Not really putting any mind to the fact that Virgil was not slumped against him snoring softly into his neck.

“When did he even leave?”

“About the same time as Remy, although they took different roads- or well… Remy took the road; Remus stomped off into the wilds.” Roman rolled his eyes.

“Of course the idiot would do that.” Roman huffed. “I guess we'll just have to wait and see when he comes back, also. What was the damage control on the havoc?”

“The city of Merembell is asking for a compensation of 700 gold and a letter of forgiveness and will ban Remus from entering the city again.”

“Typical. That means I won’t be able to go there either.” Roman groaned “And I really liked that town, I am starting to think he’s doing this on purpose.”

“Now don’t say that-”

“He knows we got the same face! Only he got his caterpillar of a moustache, while I got all the charms.”

“Hey. I take offence of that; you don’t have _all_ the charms.”

They continued to talk about the situation, Logan had after a while moved Virgil over to the couch after Virgil almost fell over when Logan moved.

It had been a few hours before the now calmer conversation was broken by a scream.

A scream that made Roman’s blood freeze and be shot up from the chair he had sat down in. Shooting for the door, Virgil was awoken with a start and it didn’t take long before Roman had the others hot on his heels.

\- o -

Dee woke with a yawn blinking his eyes open into the darkness that was under the blanket, he slithered up and poked his head out into the colder air of the room, hair a wild mess atop his head. The fire cracked and popped and it was clear some of the servants had put on more firewood to keep the fire going as the room was in a comfortable warmth. Dee looked around, finding the bed empty and Roman nowhere to be seen. Dee sat up and stretched yawning again before he shuffled out of the bed and got himself dressed, he was just about to open the door when one of the servants opened it, blinking down at Dee in surprise before he smiled.

“Oh, sorry, didn’t know you were awake.”

“It’s fine!” Dee squeaked. The servant moved into the room, putting some more firewood on the fire before opening the curtains and starting to tidy up the room. Dee left, feeling like he was in the servant’s way.

Dee instead went to the kitchen to find something to eat, knowing he had most likely slept through the breakfast. He found Patton and Elliott in the middle of kneading bread. Elliott was grumbling angrily under their breath as they punched the dough, while Patton was kneading his with less anger. Dee just stared.

Elliott was a shipian as well, but Dee hadn’t really interacted with them before, he had caught sight of the weasel at the outskirts of the pharmacist garden as well as them talking with Sloan, Corbin or Emile, who was the only one Dee had seen being able to make Elliott crack a smile. Their tail swished left and forth and was fluffed up in annoyance while their black fluffy ears lied almost flat against their head, hidden by their short fluffy hair, as they beat the dough.

“Morning.” Dee greeted as he grabbed an apple from a bowl of fruits, snatching a scone and a few farmers’ toasts as well onto the wooden plate.

“Hello kiddo. How are you feeling today?”

“Better. Emile said I only need to take the medicine before bed now.” Dee said before he tore a piece of the farmers toast with his teeth before chewing.

“That’s good!” Patton cheered, tail wagging happily behind him.

Dee sat down at the table, but kept out of the way of the flour that covered the table. He put most of his attention to eating but now and again sent a glance at a growling and huffing Elliott who was beating another piece of dough.

“Are they okay?” Dee hissed at Patton who blinked in confusion before he gave a sheepish smile in reply.

“Yeah, they’re just very frustrated about life, but this is a good way to get the frustration out, and you get yummy bread out of it.” Patton said with a grin. Dee shrugged, he had never made bread before, so he wouldn’t know, it looked sticky and like it would make a mess. He returned his attention to eating.

Once he had finished did he voice his question.

“Patton, do you know where Roman is?”

“Oh? Hmm, that’s weird...” Patton said tilting his head in thought and confusion. “I haven’t seen him or Thomas this morning.”

“The Princes along with Logan and Virgil gathered in Thomas’s study earlier today.” Elliott said with a grunt as they stepped back from the dough, wiping their hands on the apron to get their hands free from flour, or try to.

“Oh? Did something happen?” Patton asked “They don’t meet that often like that.”

“I don’t know.” Elliott said with a sigh. “But if you’re looking for Roman he’s probably still there.” Dee nodded and took his plate and placed it on the counter next to the sink, before giving it a quick scrub and then leaving the kitchen with a bye to Patton and Elliott.

Dee walked along the corridors, he didn’t fully remember where Thomas’s study was, but he used his tongue to try and find Roman’s scent in the air, so he could follow the trail.

He turned a corner only to crash into someone; he stumbled back with a grunt.

“Oh? I haven’t seen you before!” a voice said, loudly. Causing Dee to cringe, before he blinked his eyes open and looked up at Roman?

Dee couldn’t help the way his tongue poked out to taste the air, no, it was not Roman, it didn’t smell like Roman, but the person before him looked like the splitting image of Roman.

“Are you new here? You’re a reptilian one right? Are you a snake? Or a gecko? Or-” the person gasped before grinning “Are you a chameleon?!” Dee backed away, while the replica of Roman advanced with each question, which was fired off too fast for Dee to be able to answer.

He knew Roman was tall, but Roman never loomed like this person did.

Fear started to churn in his belly and he flinched when his back hit the wall.

“I don’t think you’re a fish, the scales don’t look like fish scales.” The person rambled on “Hm, are there even any fish shipians? I’ll have to ask the nerd about it.”

Dee swallowed hard and looked around for any way to escape.

“Oh? You got some cool looking scars!” the not Roman said and Dee flinched when the hand suddenly came towards him.

The dirty hand with bitten nails blurred and was changed to a more angry hold.

He was gonna get hurt!

He had done something wrong!

He didn’t know what he had done wrong, but he had done something wrong!

Dee was barely aware of how his claws and teeth growing sharper.

His chest barely moved from the panic.

Dee screamed and attacked, swinging his clawed hand out, feeling it catch on skin and he heard a surprised yelp of pain. The shadow that was looming over him stumbled back as he crashed to the floor curling up to try and be as small as possible. Tears started to grow in his eyes.

\- o -

Roman barrelled down the hall, several paces ahead of the others, Virgil being the only one who could keep up normally, but he was still freshly awake. Roman only came to a slow when he caught sight of his brother in the middle on the corridor.

“REMUS?!” Roman barked out in confusion. Remus turned to blink owlishly at him, he looked subdued to normal.

“I think I fucked up...” Remus mumbled. It was first now Roman noticed the scratch on his cheek that was bleeding.

“What..?” Remus took a step to the side and Roman felt a sense of dread and protectiveness slam him into speed again as he saw Dee curled up on the floor. “Dee!” Roman cried and pushed past his brother.

The others caught up then, but Roman barely gave them any thought as he crashed to his knees before Dee.

“Dee?” Roman asked. “Dee, hey, shh its okay, I’m here. Can you hear me?” Dee gave a stiff nod. “That’s good, keep listening to me okay; I need you to breathe, okay. Can you do that for me? Can you take one big breath for me?” Dee gave away a choked noise followed by a sob and whimper. “Hey hey, shh, you’re doing so well, let’s try again. Breathe in.”

Roman slowly worked to calm Dee down.

Thomas watched them before his eyes fell to Remus who was worrying his lip.

“What happened?” Thomas asked putting his hands on his hips.

“I-”

“Did you come on too strong again?” Virgil asked

“I’m sorry!” Remus whined

“Dude, I’ve told you to calm down around the new ones!” an angry hiss left the shipian.

“I knooow! But he just bumped into me and I forgot all about it…”

“Well… _try_ to calm down in the future, please? Dee, he’s… I think only Roman really knows how bad it really is.” Virgil huffed as he rubbed at his face tiredly. “Also do something about that cut you reek of blood.” Virgil said with a scowl of disgust, showing some sharper teeth.

“Oh right!” Remus yipped, licking his thumb and stroking it over the cuts, making both Virgil and Thomas grimace in distaste.

“That is highly unsanitary.” Logan sighed, used to Remus’s antics and knowing that if he hadn’t changed yet, he most likely wouldn’t change.

The saliva gave away green sparks of magic as Remus’s wilder magic healed the wound; the only thing showing he got hurt was the remaining blood that stuck to his cheek and the pinkish lines left where the cuts had been.

Dee tried his best to cling to Roman’s voice, trying his best to follow the breathing pattern Roman gently spoke. Dee had shuffled closer and was now doing his best to become one with Roman’s chest. Roman held him close, not too hard to make Dee feel caged, he was rubbing Dee’s back in soothing circles and tapping the breathing pattern on the back of Dee’s hand that he was holding, keeping it pressed against his chest so that Dee could feel his heartbeat.

It was a slow process, but slowly and surely Dee’s breathing calmed down. Roman kissed the top of his head.

“You back with me my little snake?” Roman murmured into the dirty blond locks. He got a stiff nod in reply followed by a small noise of yes. “Okay, want to stay like this for a while longer? Or do you want to face my brother?”

“You’re brother?” Dee asked with a small croak.

“Yeah, Remus. I was not aware he had made it back home… he’s not a bad person, he just… hmm. He’s kind of an energetic puppy who is a bit crazy.”

“I scratched him...” Dee mumbled.

“Well, you tried to kill me.” Roman felt Dee flinch in his arms, causing Roman to hug him tighter. “And both times you were stressed and scared. You were just trying to protect yourself, kid.” Roman gently hushed giving Dee’s brow one more kiss. “He won’t harm you, I promise.”

Roman got to his feet, carrying Dee who was doing his best to try and become one with Roman’s sash. The moment Roman turned to face Remus and the others they saw how Thomas was currently scolding Remus for the chaos he caused in the town of Merembell, while also demanding more information on the situation. Virgil looked like he was seconds away from begging the two of them to stop talking. Logan looked done with the whole scene, and was the first one who noticed them; he gave Dee a small smile in greeting.

“Morning Dee.”

That was enough to make both Thomas and Remus close their mouths and turn to face Roman and Dee.

“Morning...” Dee mumbled unsurely, eyes flying to Remus’s face, catching sight of the pink scars of the scratch. He made a small wounded noise.

“Hey no, it’s okay.” Roman gently soothed. Remus surprisingly kept his distance.

Virgil moved over to check up on Dee, and when he found nothing amiss he nodded.

“Oh don’t worry about the scars that idiot likes them.” Virgil said jabbing his thumb in Remus’s direction.

“Of course I do! They show off how amazing I am!” Remus said as he grinned, hand on his chest.

“If anything it shows you’re a klutz.” Roman snorted.

“Hey! I just got back home and this is the welcome I get?! Rude.” Remus huffed, crossing his arms and pouting.

“We’re glad you’re back home safe, Remus.” Thomas said patting Remus on the shoulder. “Now, how about a true introduction between the two of you and then we can all go and get something to eat, because I am _starving_.” Thomas’s stomach took that moment to growl loudly in agreement, causing everyone to laugh.

They had gathered at one of the tables in the dining hall, having it full of freshly made brunch for the 5 of them. Dee grabbed an apple to nibble on, even if he was already satisfied from his earlier breakfast. Any dinnertime with just Roman and Thomas was an experience, but with the third and last brother at the table the chaos went up tenfold. And Dee could do nothing more than stare and take everything in as everyone fell into a familiar rhythm around the food. Remus and Roman were sharing their stories of their wanderings, one tale getting more creatively worked on than the other, Logan looked like he was in pain with how clearly fabricated the stories were, as the twins tried to one up the other. Patton and Elliott had joined them at the table as well, having not eaten anything before they started to make the bread.

How they came into the subject of the shackle removal for Dee, Dee couldn’t remember, but it was still a few days left before Thomas would get everything in order. He still needed one more component, which was rare to come by this time of year, which was why they were forced to wait for so long.

“I ha’e tha’.” Remus said, voice muffled and speech slurred from the amount of food stuffed in his mouth.

“I’m sorry, what?” Roman and Thomas asked at the same time. Remus swallowed loudly before he grinned.

“I said I have that, it was the main reason for the cause of the havoc, I found this big bag with the ground bone, the seller said it was nothing more than some stone flour, but he must have overheard me when I cheered myself on. Because he sent the guards at me telling them I had swindled him, and well… You guys know how my magic is.”

“How much did you get?” Thomas asked breakfast forgotten.

“Oh! Uhh… about 500 gold worth of it, it weighs about 15 kilos so it’s a lot in the bag.” Remus said lifting the bag from his belt to show a worn leather bag about the size of Remus’s closed fist.

“Dee, I need to check everything else, but I do believe I will be able to remove your shackles later today.”

Dee felt like someone had thrown a bucket of water on him. He knew he should be happy, but he was petrified, every time the shackles had been removed they had burnt and scarred, he, he honestly wasn’t sure if he would be okay if the method Thomas used would be the exact same one as everyone else.

The apple Dee had been eating thumped to the floor and rolled away, quickly snatched by one of the dogs at the castle.

Dee wanted to trust, to trust Thomas on this.

But trust did nothing against the enormous fear of the ‘what ifs’ that suddenly assaulted his mind.

He wasn’t sure if he smiled or not.

\- o - O - o -

When the world came back to him, and Dee didn’t feel like he was about to get swept away by the winds, he found himself in the library. Held close by Roman who was quietly talking to Logan while the two played a game of chess? Virgil was snoozing on the couch next to him, his tail lying across Dee’s chest.

Dee blinked and shifted a bit, which got Roman’s attention.

“You back with us?” Roman asked voice still gentle and quiet. Dee blinked again and frowned slightly.

“What happened?” Dee croaked.

“You had a really bad panic attack.” Logan said, as Roman rubbed Dee’s shoulder. “You ended up losing consciousness before Roman was able to help, he did manage to catch you when you fell off the bench.”

“Oh...” Dee looked down “Sorry...”

“You have nothing to apologise for, although Thomas and the others did get worried, any particular thing you can think of that caused it?” Logan asked, as he moved his rook, taking out one of Roman’s pawns, making Roman grumble unhappily. Dee rubbed self consciously at the scars around his wrists, left after all the precious removals of shackles he’d been through.

“I just…” he wasn’t sure what to say. “Thomas said we could remove the shackles earlier now, since Remus got the components he will need to do so… but… I could couldn’t help but start to… I don’t know… second guess it...”

Roman, gently took Dee’s hand from his wrist, when he saw how the claws was starting to scratch at the already scarred skin, he gently rubbed his thumb over the scars.

“I promise you, the magic we use to dispel the shackles doesn’t hurt, and will not leave any lasting marks.”

“I know...” Dee mumbled.

“You just can’t get your mind to believe it.” Virgil piped up, head resting against one of his hands. “Every point of reference you have only ended in pain, so you struggle to believe and trust that there can be different, right?” Dee could only nod, as he stared at Virgil who had easily put the way he was feeling into words.

“Oh, that makes sense now when I think about it.” Logan said with a nod, only to curse when Roman took out his bishop on the chessboard. “But I can also assure you, you will not be harmed in any way during the procedure.”

“Dee.” Roman said changing his hold on the younger shipian “Remember Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember how he didn’t have any scars? Oh and have you seen any scars made by shackles around Patton’s wrists?”

“No...”

“Does that reminder ease your worries a bit?” Roman asked as he kissed Dee’s temple.

“A bit.” Dee mumbled, a small smile on his lips, only to giggle when Roman kissed his cheek next before pulling Dee close and tickling him, making Dee snicker and giggle and snort as he struggled to get free.

Roman stopped when tears gathered in Dee’s eyes, rubbing his sides to clear away the phantom tickles, before he nuzzled his cheek against Dee’s hair.

“You’re gonna be fine, kid.” Roman mumbled. “I promise, and I will be with you through the whole procedure if you need me to.” Dee smiled as he snuggled closer to Roman, pressing his head up under Roman’s jaw and closed his eyes, and let his tongue poke out between his lips, making a pleased hissing noise.

Logan and Roman watched with warm expressions, while Virgil chuckled and stretched, before he got comfortable on the couch again.

A calm lull fell over them, until the first couple of mates from both sides, and then finally the checkmate, that resulted in Roman flipping the chessboard.

It was after diner that Thomas found them in the pharmacy, where Elliot was happily teaching Dee how different herbs made different kinds of teas and what the good prospects of the different kinds of tea were, a cup of lavender tea stood currently over the fire brewing, filling the room in a gentle scent. Sloan and Corbin were talking amongst themselves, joking and flirting alike as they stocked some of the shelves with more herbs, harvested from the garden. Roman watched everything with a humorous smile.

“There you are.” Thomas said with a smile, making his younger brother and the shipian look up. “I got everything ready. How do you feel, Dee? Are you ready, or do you want to wait a bit longer?”

“I- uh-”

“Maybe a cup of tea, to help the nerves?” Emile asked

“Oh- We don’t-” Dee started trying to backpedal

“It’s almost done brewing, care for a cup of tea Thomas?” Emile said with a smile, ruffling Dee’s hair as he walked past the younger shipian to get to the kettle.

“I’d love to join for a cup of tea.” Thomas said with a smile, noting the way Dee seemed skittish and a bit stressed. Thomas took a chair and sat down at the table, thanking Emile when he handed him a cup of the lavender tea. Thomas knew its abilities; it helped him several times to calm down. He was not going to deprive Dee the ability to get something to help calm his anxieties and fears. It ended up with all of them sitting down for a cup of tea. Dee drank it, but he didn’t talk much, concentrating on keeping his mind from spiralling. Roman reached out and squeezed his shoulder, making Dee jolt and send him a look, Roman just smiled back giving Dee’s shoulder another squeeze in comfort.

“I’m here; I won’t leave unless you want me too.” Roman said in a gentle tone. Thomas hid his smile behind his cup; he wasn’t blind to the parental bond Roman made with the half snake.

To Dee’s surprise they did not go to Thomas’s study, but to a different part of the castle and into a big room, Dee hadn’t been in before, the walls were lined with shelves, stacked full of everything from parchment and brushes to herbs and jars of various liquids, in the middle of the room was a round carving in the floor, holding the sigils of the Hummingford, which actually was a combination of Thomas, Roman and Remus’s sigils. Dee gaped as he slowed to a stop. Thomas hurried over to a table where he had already apparently gathered the components he would need, the bag Remus had with him was on it. Thomas grabbed a few of the things before he turned around to face them.

“Okay so we can go about this in some different ways, but it will be the same end result.”

“Different how?” Dee squeaked out, not feeling like the tea helped at all.

“Well, you can either stand up while I work on dispelling the shackles, or you could sit on a stool, or lie down. It all depends on what you prefer, but I will need you keep mostly still during this.” Thomas gave him a gentle smile “You do look like you’re about to fall over from the nerves, or maybe lying down would be best? But I will leave it up to you.” Dee made an unsure noise before he shuffled his feet, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

“Where do you want me to be?”

“In the middle of the sigils would be the best.”

Dee moved over stiffly before he sat down on the floor.

“Sitting down on the floor works too.” Thomas said with a chuckle as he started to mix and grind the components together with a mortar and pestle.

Roman moved over and sat down on the floor next to Dee, but not close enough he would get in the way of Thomas working.

Thomas poured the now ground mixture into another two other vials and added water and more liquids to the mixture, before he grabbed the bigger one and started to pour the deep black tar like substance that reflected all the rainbows colours when the light hit it right, into the outer circle of the grooves that made the sigils on the floor.

He then grabbed the smaller vial and a brush before he asked Dee to remove his shoes and roll up his pants and sleeves, to reveal his ankles and wrists. Thomas crouched down and painted some detailed, but still fairly easy, runes onto the scarring. The cold mixture made Dee shudder and the brush tickled a bit when it moved over the non scarred skin that still had the full ability to feel. Once Thomas was done with the wrists and ankles he looked up at Dee and smiled.

“Almost done with the preparations, I just have a few runes left; close your eyes for me.” Dee did so jerkily, and flinched when the cold wet brush painted on his forehead and down his nose and under his eyes.

Dee blindly reached out his hand in Roman’s direction, Roman took it and gave it a squeeze in comfort, Dee squeezed back, but didn’t let go.

“There.” Thomas said as he added the last rune. “You can open your eyes again.” Dee did so slowly, peeking up at Thomas who straightened up as he moved to place the now empty vials onto the table. He then grabbed a fine powder and gathered it on his hands before rubbing them together and then blowing the remaining dust in Dee’s direction, causing Dee to sneeze.

“So, that was the tricky part, now it’s time for the easy one.” Thomas said as he cracked his fingers. “Not sure how much you’ve seen of Roman’s magic-”

“It’s a dragon.” Dee blurted before he could stop himself, making both Thomas and Roman chuckle.

“That it is. If you stick around Remus, I bet you’ll see the creature his magic likes to become too. I’m a bit rusty when it comes to the magic, it’s the reason I need the runes and components, I tend to get a bit distracted otherwise.”

“His magic is like an over energetic puppy.” Roman said with a grin. “It runs wherever it wants unless he gets the components and runes to rein it in.” Thomas pouted at that before he huffed.

“Let’s have more magic talk later, for now, let’s get these shackles off shall we.”

Dee gave Roman’s hand another squeeze as Thomas closed his eyes and started to chant, his hands pressed flat together.

Dee could only stare as magic started to fold off him, shimmering in bright white, but also shifting in all the colours of the rainbow. It swirled and danced in the air as it rose like swirls of warm air. Thomas separated his hands from each other, holding them palm open upwards before him like an open armed greeting, before he opened his eyes that was glowing white, sparks swirling around then in reds and blues and purples along with greens and oranges and yellows. His chanting started to echo as the magic swirled around in the room for a moment before it circled in on Dee and the runes, Dee was forced to close his eyes at how bright everything got. But despite the fear in his mind he wasn’t afraid of the magic, it felt familiar, but not the same way Roman’s did. Maybe it had to do with the fact that they were brothers.

The chanting intensified and more vocals took part, coming from the magic itself, until Dee could barely hear anything else.

He felt the runes grow warm, and felt panic slam into him, the removal of the shackles had involved the shackles growing hotter until they burned.

Roman squeezed his hand and Dee calmed, noting that the runes didn’t get any warmer.

Dee managed to open his eyes to see how the shackles on his ankles were being consumed by the runes and the magic around them, along with the components.

The wind picked up as the magic started to swirl, and then in a swoosh the whole room went quiet after Thomas slammed his hands together and closed his eyes, the magic dimmed and swirled back to once again become part of him.

Thomas blinked his eyes open again and they were back to normal, he grinned at Dee who slowly let go of Roman’s hand to look down at his wrists and ankles. The dark mark the shackles normally left nowhere to be seen.

“How are you feeling, Dee?” Roman asked but it sounded distant. Dee stroked his fingers along his wrists with shaky hands, eyes burning from unshed tears. Dee shot to his feet and stumbled a bit as he rushed over to Thomas to hug him while giving away a sob.

Thomas stumbled back before he happily hugged Dee back.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Thomas said in a gentle tone as he rubbed at Dee’s back, in comfort. Dee managed to sob out a ‘thanks’ before he started to cry in earnest, both from relief, and happiness, and the remaining nerves over the whole thing that now had nowhere to go.

Thomas and Roman shared a look before Roman crouched down to get to eye level with Dee.

“See, I told you, you would be fine Dee.” Dee turned his head to look at Roman who was beaming at him. Dee gave away a hiccupping sob before he let go of Thomas to hug Roman instead. Roman happily hugged back, holding Dee close.

“You will be safe here; the Hummingford will be your home if you want it to be. I will be right beside you for as long as you want me too.”

“Wanna stay with you-” Dee sobbed out into Roman’s shoulder. Roman pulled back to hold Dee’s face with his hands, stroking the tears away with his thumbs, before he moved over to kiss Dee on the forehead.

“Then you can stay with me, my brave little snake.”

\- o - End - o -

**Author's Note:**

> If i missed anything that you want me to add to the tags then please tell me.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are loves <3


End file.
